PlantsNuts & Mast
Shagbark Hickory
Carya ovata
Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.
Large edible-nut canopy tree
AdvancedNuts & MastAlso TreesEdible
- Light
- Full sun–part shade
- Moisture
- Medium
- Mature size
- 50–80+ ft
- Spacing
- 35–60 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Nuts Sep–Oct
- How it spreads
- Large deep-rooted tree
- What to buy
- Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
- When to plant
- Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.
In the design
Slow-growing; plant only where it can remain permanently.
If you eat it
Shagbark hickory nuts
Large-space tree; falling nuts and husks
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
