The nuts of shellbark hickory are sweet and edible and the largest of all hickories. They are eaten by a wide range of wildlife species, including ducks, quail, wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, foxes, raccoons, and white-footed mice. The tree is rarely planted as a shade tree; it is relatively slow growing and difficult to move because of its taproot.
Trees are late coming into leaf (usually late May to June) and lose their leaves early in the autumn (usually October). The mature leaves cast a heavy shade. This light regime makes the trees well suited for a mixed woodland planting with shrubs and other trees beneath
Contributed By: USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center & the Biota of North America Program
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