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Native Trees of Canada 



CARYA OVATA (Mill.) Koch SHAGBARK HICKORY 



Common names: Shagbark hickory, shellbark hickoty. 

 French names: Carya blanc, noyer ecailleux, noyer blanc d' 

 Amerique. 

 The shagbark hickory reaches a height of 50 to 80 ft. and a diameter of 

 1 to 2 ft., and is one of the largest hickories. The trunk is straight and columnar, 

 topped with a small, flat crown when grown in a dense stand. In the open the 

 trunk is shorter and is divided into a few short, heavy, spreading limbs forming a 

 crown which in outline resembles an inverted cone. 



The bark is light grey in colour, and flaky. It shags off in large plates which 

 are free at both ends. This peculiarity gives it its common name and distinguishes 



SHAGBARK 



HICKORY 



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it from the other hickories. The bark of the pignut hickory is slightly shaggy on 

 some trees but not to the same extent as that of the shagbark. The twigs, winter 

 buds, and fruit of these two species are points by which they can be readily separated. 



The twigs of the shagbark are coarse, reddish-brown, and shiny, sometimes 

 slightly downy, and greyish. 



The buds are yellowish-brown and large, and have two dark, projecting outer 

 scales which are not found on the other hickories. 



The leaves have five to seven leaflets on a stem, usually five. The leaflets 

 are 4 to 8 in. long, thin, yellowish-green, and usually have hair on their margins. 

 The leaf-stem is rough. 



