Carya ovata seed

LATIN NAME: Carya ovata

COMMON NAME: Shagbark Hickory

The shagbark hickory is a noble and historic tree of the eastern American woodlands, and its distinctive, shaggy, peeling bark and its sweet, edible nuts have made it one of the most beloved and most useful of the trees of the region. It grows as a large, deciduous tree of the walnut family, reaching up to thirty metres, with a tall, straight trunk covered with the long, loose, shaggy strips of the bark that peel away from the trunk, and a broad, rounded crown of the compound leaves with the five or the seven leaflets, and, in the spring, the small, greenish, catkin flowers, followed by the round, thick-shelled, edible nuts, which are sweet and prized by the people and the wildlife alike. It is a common hickory, native to the eastern North America, with the two varieties, and the trees can grow to quite a large size, while the nut is consumed by the wildlife.

The shagbark hickory belongs to the walnut family, Juglandaceae, and it is a common hickory, native to the eastern North America, with the two varieties. The trees can grow to quite a large size, and the nut is consumed by the wildlife, while it is known as the shagbark hickory, and it is prized for its shaggy bark and its sweet, edible nuts.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The shagbark hickory has a genuine and distinguished place in both forestry and food research. It has been studied in the forestry and the wood science, since the hickory is a noble and important tree of the eastern American woodlands, and researchers have examined the properties of the wood and its uses, while the tough, strong, flexible hickory wood has been used for the tool handles, the furniture, the smoke-wood and the many products, and the value of the hickory wood has drawn attention in the international forestry and wood press as a strong and useful wood of the American woodlands. The tree has also been studied in the food science and the nutrition, since the round, thick-shelled nuts are sweet and edible, and researchers have examined the nuts, their oils, their composition and their value, while the sweet hickory nuts have been a valued food of the region, gathered by the people and the wildlife alike, and the nutrition of the hickory nuts has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a sweet nut of the eastern American woodlands. The species has also been studied in the ecology, since it is a common hickory of the eastern North America, and its growth, its role in the woodland community and its value to the wildlife have been examined, while the shaggy, peeling bark of the tree has been of continuing interest. For a tree of such value, the shagbark hickory has a rich and distinguished record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the shagbark hickory is a noble tree of the eastern American woodlands. Its small, greenish flowers feed the insects, and its broad, leafy crown gives shelter, while its sweet, edible nuts feed the squirrels, the birds and the small animals, and it is a historic presence in the woodlands of the eastern North America.

Its economic value is real. The sweet, edible nuts are a valued food of the region, and their nutrition has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a sweet nut of the eastern American woodlands, while the tough, strong hickory wood has been used for the tool handles and the many products, and the shaggy bark and the noble form of the tree are also prized in the landscape. For a grower, the shagbark hickory is a rewarding and noble tree, and for a gardener it brings shaggy bark, a broad crown and the promise of the sweet nuts. The seeds are easy to start — let them rest cool and damp for a while, then sow them in a pot of moist, rich, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, keep them gently watered, and they’ll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a noble, shaggy-barked tree.

Caryer ovale seed

The tree is up to 30 m high with grey furrowed bark, exfoliating in large vertical bands (up to 50 cm long). Leaves up to 20-35 cm long, unpaired, with five (sometimes three or seven) elliptical or obovate leaflets.
Flowers are bisexual, staminate in growing 3 together catkins up to 10 cm long, pistillate flowers 3-5 on a single peduncle.
The pericarp of the fruit is reddish-brown, thick-walled (6-8 mm), opens at maturity. Endocarp (walnut) is almost white, up to 3.5 cm long, rectangular-rounded with 4-6 faces. The core is brownish and edible.
The meaning and application
The nut kernel is sweet, flavorful, and eaten in the same way as the pecan kernels.
The wood is hard, strong and strong, with a broad white sapwood and a brown or reddish-brown core. Like other types of Caria wood, it is used in construction and for the manufacture of various joinery products.
Very decorative tree, suitable for both single and group planting.