Specimen record
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
Description
A tall hardwood tree easily identified by its extraordinarily shaggy bark — long strips of bark curve outward at top and bottom while remaining attached at the center, giving the trunk a ragged appearance. The large nuts, enclosed in a thick four-valved husk, are edible and sweet-flavored. The extremely hard, shock-resistant wood was historically the preferred material for tool handles and baseball bats.
Identification tips
- 1Long shaggy bark strips curving outward from the trunk (diagnostic at any season)
- 2Pinnately compound leaves with 5 leaflets (occasionally 7), the terminal 3 much larger
- 3Leaflets finely serrated with tufts of hair on the teeth
- 4Large round nuts in a thick, four-valved green husk that splits to the base when ripe
- 5Stout twigs with large terminal buds covered in overlapping dark brown scales
Specimen & preservation notes
Press a single compound leaf spread flat — these are large, so use full-size paper. Photograph the shaggy bark in the field. Collect nuts with husks — halve the husk to show the nut inside. Include a twig with the large terminal bud for winter identification.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Guide window is wider than observed records.
Flowering records: 3 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 391 observations within 25 km