Carya laciniosa

The Shellbark Hickory, also be referred to as the Shagbark Hickory, Bigleaf Shagbark Hickory or Western Shellbark , is a native tree which is found in small pockets within Southern Ontario. This species bark is smooth and gray with shallow interlacing ridges, which turn into loose plates with age making it look shaggy. The Shellbark Hickory is slow growing and long lived, possessing the largest nut of the Hickory family. The edible nut is round, 5 cm long with a thick husk, ripening between September and October. Between April and June, inconspicuous green-yellow flowers bloom in catkins. Leaves produced are vivid green and compound with seven lance-shaped leaflets alternatively arranged along the branch. During the fall, these leaves turn a brilliant golden yellow.

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Scientific Name: Carya laciniosa
Type: Tree
Height: 30m
Spread: 22m
Moisture Level: moist, wet
Light Conditions: full sun, part sun
Soil Conditions: sand, clay, loam
Zone (Hardiness of Canada): 6 to 7