Shagbark Hickory

Pollen Type: Tree

Cross-Reactivity: Other Hickory’s

HS Allergy Extract: Hickory, Shagbark or Tree Mix #11

Family: Juglandaceae

Genus/Species: Carya ovata

Common Names: Shagbark Hickory, Shellbark Hickory, Scalybark Hickory, Shagbark, Upland Hickory

Distribution: Throughout the eastern United States.

Locations: Swamps, wet plains

Pollination Method: Wind-pollinated

Pollinating Period: April & May

Description: The Shagbark Hickory is a deciduous tree, growing over 100’, with a lifespan of 350+ years. As its name suggests, mature trees are easily identified by their shaggy bark; younger specimen have smooth bark. Its pinnate leaves are 12″-24″ long, with five leaflets (although sometimes only three or seven), with the terminal three leaflets being larger than the basal pair. This monoecious tree has staminate (male) flowers that grow on long-stalked catkins at the tip of old wood or the axils of the previous season’s leaves. Pistillate (female) flowers grow in short terminal spikes. Its fruit is a drupe that measures 1″-1.5″ long, containing an edible nut with a hard, bony shell, and enclosed in a thick, green, four-sectioned husk that turns dark and splits off during the fall when it matures.