Carya laciniosa: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Used to make tool handles, sporting goods, furniture, cabinets, and veneer. Also used as fuelwood and charcoal.
Plant Profile: Carya laciniosa
Taxonomy: Carya laciniosaNames
Big Shellbark Hickory, Broom Hickory, King Nut, Shagbark Hickory, Shellbark Hickory
Phonetic Spelling:KAIR-yuh la-sin-ee-OH-suh
Genus:Carya
Species:laciniosa
Family:Juglandaceae
Shellbark Hickory is a sizable deciduous tree belonging to the walnut family, primarily found in the valleys of Ohio and the upper Mississippi River. It typically reaches heights of 60 to 80 feet, although it can grow as tall as 100 feet, featuring a narrow, rounded to elliptical crown.
For optimal growth, it should be planted in rich, humusy soils that are medium to wet, and it thrives in full to partial sunlight, showing resilience to temporary spring flooding. Ample space is essential for its development. The tree begins to produce sweet nuts when it is between 10 and 20 years old and plays a vital role in supporting various wildlife species.
Regrettably, this tree faces threats in its natural habitat.
Carya laciniosa Feature Summary
Tags
#deciduous
#large shade tree
#wildlife plant
#slow growing
#native tree
#moths
#nuts
#small mammals
#NC native
#deer browsing plant
#nighttime garden
#edible fruits
#Braham Arboretum
#larval host plant
#deciduous tree
#food source hard mast fruit
#moth larvae
#pollinator garden
#non-toxic for horses
#non-toxic for dogs
#non-toxic for cats
#hickory horndevil moth
Similar Plants
Carya laciniosa is often confused with:
Carya laciniosa Feature Summary
Attributes
Used to make tool handles, sporting goods, furniture, cabinets, and veneer. Also used as fuelwood and charcoal.
Canada, central to eastern U.S.A., NC
Found in Maine, PA, NY south through GA west to TX north through OK, NB, Missouri, IO east through IL, IN, MI and Ontario
The leaves of the shellbark hickory are eaten by deer and other browsers while the nuts are consumed by deer, bears, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey and other animals. It provides nutrition for bees in early to late spring. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Nuts are sweet and edible.
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Fruit
The thick husk is green when young and becomes brown with maturity and is split into 4 sections. The nut is egg-shaped and tan in color and matures in the fall.
Nut
Cream/Tan
Edible
1-3 inches
1-3 inches
Flowers
2-3 inch long yellow-green male catkins. Female flowers are produced in clusters of 2-6 on the same twigs as the catkins
Gold/Yellow
Green
Insignificant
Catkin
Spring
1-3 inches
Leaves
The dark green odd-pinnate compound leaves have 5-9, but usually, 7 leaflets that are 4-8 inches long and 1- 2.5 inches across. They are broadly lance-shaped and pointed with fine teeth. The fall color is yellow to yellow-brown.
Deciduous
Green
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Lanceolate
Obovate
Serrate
> 6 inches
1-3 inches
Bark
The bark is initially smooth and gray with shallow interlacing ridges, later developing long, loose plates, resulting in a shaggy appearance.
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Scaly
Smooth
Ridges
Exfoliating
Irregular
Stem
Young twigs are pale to medium brown with orange lenticels. They have hairs early in the season but become smooth later on.
Brown/Copper
Hairy (pubescent)
Conspicuous
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Native Plant
Deciduous
Rounded
Erect
Slow
Medium
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Moist
Occasionally Wet
more than 60 feet
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
High Organic Matter
Landscape
Edible Garden
Pollinator Garden
Nighttime Garden
Shade Tree
Pollinators
Moths
Small Mammals
Carya laciniosa Image Gallery
Carya laciniosa Attributes
Carya laciniosa: Country Or Region Of Origin
Canada, central to eastern U.S.A., NC
Carya laciniosa: Distribution
Found in Maine, PA, NY south through GA west to TX north through OK, NB, Missouri, IO east through IL, IN, MI and Ontario
Carya laciniosa: Wildlife Value
The leaves of the shellbark hickory are eaten by deer and other browsers while the nuts are consumed by deer, bears, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, wild turkey and other animals. It provides nutrition for bees in early to late spring. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Carya laciniosa: Edibility
Nuts are sweet and edible.
Carya laciniosa: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Carya laciniosa: Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Carya laciniosa Fruit
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Description
The thick husk is green when young and becomes brown with maturity and is split into 4 sections. The nut is egg-shaped and tan in color and matures in the fall.
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Color
Cream/Tan
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy
Carya laciniosa: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Carya laciniosa: Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Carya laciniosa Flowers
Carya laciniosa: Flower Description
2-3 inch long yellow-green male catkins. Female flowers are produced in clusters of 2-6 on the same twigs as the catkins
Carya laciniosa: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Carya laciniosa: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Carya laciniosa: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Carya laciniosa: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Carya laciniosa Leaves
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Description
The dark green odd-pinnate compound leaves have 5-9, but usually, 7 leaflets that are 4-8 inches long and 1- 2.5 inches across. They are broadly lance-shaped and pointed with fine teeth. The fall color is yellow to yellow-brown.
Carya laciniosa: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Color
Green
Carya laciniosa: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Brown/Copper
Gold/Yellow
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Carya laciniosa: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Carya laciniosa: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Carya laciniosa Bark
Carya laciniosa: Bark Description
The bark is initially smooth and gray with shallow interlacing ridges, later developing long, loose plates, resulting in a shaggy appearance.
Carya laciniosa: Bark Color
Dark Gray
Light Gray
Carya laciniosa: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Carya laciniosa: Bark Plate Shape
Diamond
Irregular
Oval
Rectangle
Round
Square
Carya laciniosa Stem
Carya laciniosa: Stem Description
Young twigs are pale to medium brown with orange lenticels. They have hairs early in the season but become smooth later on.
Carya laciniosa: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Carya laciniosa: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Carya laciniosa: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Carya laciniosa: Stem Lenticels
Conspicuous
Not Conspicuous
Carya laciniosa Whole Plant Traits
Carya laciniosa: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Carya laciniosa: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Carya laciniosa: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Carya laciniosa: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Carya laciniosa: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Carya laciniosa: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Carya laciniosa Cultural Conditions
Carya laciniosa: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Carya laciniosa: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Carya laciniosa: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Carya laciniosa: Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Carya laciniosa: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Carya laciniosa: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Carya laciniosa: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Carya laciniosa Landscape
Carya laciniosa: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Carya laciniosa: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Carya laciniosa: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Carya laciniosa: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
