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Shagbark hickory
Habit (mature) · Famartin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Shagbark hickory
Carya ovata
A native deciduous canopy tree of eastern North American forests with the most distinctive bark of any temperate tree — long curling shaggy plates that peel away from the trunk in vertical strips. Edible nuts (one of the few hickories with sweet kernels rather than bitter). Slow-growing + long-lived (200-300+ years). Among Tallamy's keystone genera — Carya hosts hundreds of Lepidoptera species.
Native: 36 US states + 2 CA provinces
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: broad (76/100)
Focal point
Structure
Light
Full sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
720-1080" tall · 480" apart
Hardy in zones
4a-8b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
Yes
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A documented larval host for the Imperial moth and 2 other species — caterpillars feed on its foliage before becoming the next generation.
Wildlife relationships
Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Appears in collections
+4
Collection · 8 plants
Food-forest layered edible
A vertically stacked edible polyculture: nut-bearing canopy, fruit-bearing understory, berry shrub layer, herbaceous + groundcover layers. Models a temperate-climate forest-garden palette for eastern North America.
Shagbark hickory
Pawpaw
Canadian serviceberry
Highbush blueberry
Allegheny blackberry
Chives
Parsley
Wild strawberry
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Shagbark hickory (Carya ovata). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/shagbark-hickory
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
University extension service
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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