Shagbark Hickory is a good example of a tree species at its northern range almost extirpated in Eastern Ontario by European settlement.
Shagbark Hickory likely grew in locations along rivers and south facing slopes where its growing season was extended and temperatures were moderated. Records exist for stands along the Ottawa, St. Lawrence, South Nation, and Rideau Rivers. Harvested for the quality of its wood, any second and third growth trees were out-competed by species that seed more profusely and grow more quickly in our colder climate. Today small, naturally occurring remnant populations grow from Aylmer, Quebec (at Guillot Park) along both sides of the Ottawa River going east to Clarence-Rockland and Grenville, and to Montreal and Sherbrooke.
In 1911 The Ottawa Naturalist documented an isolated Shagbark Hickory population near the South Nation River south of Casselman. As reported in Trail & Landscape (1974), “Today this area is open farmland and no trace of the hickory remains.”
Shagbark Hickory is hardy to Zone 4b according to the Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa (Zone 5A), where two specimens planted in 1893 are still growing. A large stand of Shagbark Hickories grows in the Lanark Highlands in Zone 4b. Recently some nut plantations that include Shagbark Hickory (and White Oak – Quercus alba) have been planted in Eastern Ontario. These trees will eventually provide seeds for wildlife to spread. With longer and warmer growing seasons due to climate change, both Shagbark Hickory and White Oak should spread naturally to repopulate Eastern Ontario.
Identification
Mature Shagbark Hickory is instantly identifiable by its distinctive exfoliating bark. Young specimens need more examination.
- Alternate, pinnately compound leaf, usually 5 leaflets with a terminal leaflet.
- Twigs are reddish-brown with orange-yellow lenticels. Green bud turns brown, hairy in fall/winter with scales
- Bark is light smoky-grey, shallowly fissured when young, then exfoliating into wide and long vertical strips when mature.
- Four-ribbed nut husk is round, turning from green to yellow to brown when ripe and containing sweet, edible fruit.
Mature Red Maple (Acer rubrum) sometimes has exfoliating bark, but not in large, wide strips. Its leaves are opposite and not compound. Ironwood’s (Ostrya virginiana) bark exfoliates in profuse, short, narrow strips. Its leaves are alternate and not compound. Shellbark Hickory (C. laciniosa) also has shaggy bark, but is not hardy (yet!) in this area, with sparse Canadian native populations found in the Carolinian woodlands south of Lake Ontario.
Shagbark Hickory is easily distinguished from the more widespread Bitternut hickory (C. cordiformis), which has a sulphur yellow bud, bark that does not exfoliate, and distinctly different fruit.
Shagbark Hickory prefers sunny slopes and upland sites, but can be found in moist lowlands. It is slow growing and long-lived.
Shagbark Hickory Populations in Eastern Ontario
Aylmer, Quebec (Guillot Park) – This is the most easy to access site. The Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club discovered them in 1882. A survey by the club in 1974 documented 122 trees. The largest were estimated at approximately 100 years old then. This park also hosts a population of White Oak (Quercus alba). Shagbark Hickory and White Oak are often found together this far north as their success depends on similar microclimates provided by south facing slopes.
The Eastern Chapter of the Society of Ontario Nut Growers (ECSONG) has planted nut groves in a few locations around the Ottawa area. The trees are still young. Of note for Shagbark Hickory:
- Filmore R. Park Nut Grove at the Baxter Conservation Area
- Dolman Ridge Nut Grove on NCC land near Mer Bleue.
Lavant site in the Lanark Highlands – This remote location hosts an isolated population of Shagbark Hickories (with White Oak) on steep slopes. There is evidence that the trees are spreading naturally as many saplings have been found along the distant main road. It is thought that the trees regenerated naturally from a clearcut in the 1880’s and then were selected for by removal of other trees species like Ironwood.
South Nation Conservation is returning Shagbark Hickory to the South Nation watershed with plantings at Two Creeks Conservation Area.
Growing Shagbark Hickory
Shagbark Hickory is an outstanding, large, drought-tolerant landscape tree and should be more widely planted. It will take at least 20-25 years before it bears nuts, so you are planting for future generations.
Its long tap root makes it difficult to successfully transplant as a large sapling, which may explain why it’s not more widely grown by the nursery industry. To ensure transplant success, plant 3 to 5 year old seedlings and keep them well-watered for the first two years. Although tolerant of some shade, it prefers a fully sunny site and deep soil, which are essential for health and more rapid growth. Once established the tree is remarkably drought tolerant. Trees are self-fertile, but bear larger nut crops if cross-fertilized with other nearby Shagbark Hickories so plant more than one.
Three year old seedlings planted in 2013 are successfully growing in Carp, Ontario. One is over 20 feet tall.
Selected photographs with location coordinates in iNaturalist
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/72061752 – Buds and leaves in Guillot Park, Aylmer, PQ.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56814185 – Tree form, leaves, nuts in Guillot Park, Aylmer, PQ.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4997347 – Naturalized sapling from plantation in Lanark.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4998302 – Bark and growth form in Lanark.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2779469 – Mature tree in Clarence-Rockland near the Ottawa River.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/56809489 – Ripening nut close-up in Aylmer, PQ.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2779469 – Mature tree at Clarence-Rockland.
Some excellent photos from this Minneapolis, Minnesota web site: https://www.friendsofthewildflowergarden.org/pages/plants/hickory_shagbark.html
References
LaFontaine, J.D. and White. D.J. Shagbark Hickory in the Vicinity of Deschenes Quebec. Trail & Landscape. Volume 8, No. 4. 1974. Pages 110 and 111.
Nowack, Elaine. Historical Common Names of Great Plains Plants, with Scientific Names Index. Volume II. Zea Books. Great Plains, Nebraska, 2015.
Report of the Botanical Branch for the Season of 1882. Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club Transactions. Volume 4. 1882-1883. Page 70.
(Referred to as Carya alba in the text, a historic name applied to a number of hickory species, but clearly specifying Shagbark Hickory in this context.)
Report of the Botanical Branch. The Ottawa Naturalist. Volume 8. 1894-1895. Transactions of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club. Pages 40 and 76.
(Referred to as Carya alba in the text, a historic name applied to a number of hickory species, but clearly specifying Shagbark Hickory in this context.)
The Shade Trees of Ottawa. The Ottawa Naturalist. Volume 27. 1913-1914. Transactions of the Ottawa Field Naturalists’ Club. Pages 32-33.
(Referred to as Carya alba in the text, a historic name applied to a number of hickory species, but clearly specifying Shagbark Hickory in this context.)
Turner, Nancy J. Wild Nuts in Canada. The Canadian Encyclopedia. 2018.
White, David J. Rare Plant Survey: Revisions. Trail & Landscape. Volume 11. No. 1. 1977. Page 24.