''Carya laciniosa'', the shellbark hickory, in the Juglandaceae or walnut family is also called kingnut, big, bottom, thick, or western shellbark, attesting to some of its characteristics. It is a slow-growing, long-lived tree, hard to transplant because of its long taproot, and subject to insect damage. The nuts, largest of all hickory nuts, are sweet and edible. Wildlife and people harvest most of them; those remaining produce seedling trees readily. The wood is hard, heavy, strong, and very flexible, making it a favored wood for tool handles. A specimen tree has been reported in Missouri with diameter at breast height, tall, and a spread of .

Habitat

Native range

Shellbark hickory is widely distributed, but is nowhere common. The range extends from western New York through southern Michigan to southeast Iowa, south through eastern Kansas into northern Oklahoma, and eastward through Tennessee into Pennsylvania. This species is most prominent in the lower Ohio River region and south along the Mississippi River to central Arkansas. It is frequently found in the great river swamps of central Missouri and the Wabash River region in Indiana and Ohio. It's also found scattered in the Hudson valley in New York state In part due to the activities of humans, shellbark hickory has become rare in its natural range. The heavy seeds do not travel far from the parent tree and many stands have been lost to forest clearing and lumber harvesting. It is also not planted much as an ornamental due to its slow growth and difficulty of transplanting.

Climate

The mean length of the frost-free period within the range of shellbark hickory is from 150 to 210 days. The average January temperature is between , and for July the mean temperature is from . An average minimum temperature of occurs in the northern part of the range, and an average maximum temperature of is found throughout the range. Precipitation varies between per year including of snow.

Soils and topography

Shellbark hickory grows best on deep, fertile, moist soils, most typical of the order Alfisols. It does not thrive in heavy clay soils, but grows well on heavy loams or silt loams. Shellbark hickory requires moister situations than do pignut, mockernut, or shagbark hickories (''Carya glabra, C. alba,'' or ''C. ovata''), although it is sometimes found on dry, sandy soils. Specific nutrient requirements are not known, but generally the hickories grow best on neutral or slightly alkaline soils. The species is essentially a bottomland species and is often found on river terraces and second bottoms. Land subject to shallow inundations for a few weeks early in the growing season is favorable for shellbark. However, the tree will grow on a wide range of topographic and physiographic sites.

Associated forest cover

Shellbark hickory may be found in pure groups of several trees but is more frequent singly in association with other hardwoods. The species is a minor component of the forest cover types bur oak (Society of American Foresters type 42),

pin oak–sweetgum ''Quercus palustris'', the pin oak or swamp Spanish oak, is a tree in the red oak section (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae'') of the genus ''Quercus''. Pin oak is one of the most commonly used landscaping oaks in its native range due to its ease of ...

(type 65), and swamp chestnut oak–cherrybark oak (type 91). It may also be found in one or more of the types in which hickories are included, but it is not identified at the species level. Shellbark hickory commonly grows in association with

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

(''Ulmus americana''), slippery (''U. rubra''), and

winged elm ''Ulmus alata'', the winged elm or wahoo, is a small- to medium-sized deciduous tree endemic to the woodlands of the southeastern and south-central United States. The species is tolerant of a wide range of soils, and of ponding, but is the leas ...

s (''U. alata''), white (''Fraxinus americana'') and green ash (''F. pennsylvanica''),

basswood ''Tilia americana'' is a species of tree in the family Malvaceae, native to eastern North America, from southeast Manitoba east to New Brunswick, southwest to northeast Oklahoma, southeast to South Carolina, and west along the Niobrara River to ...

(''Tilia americana''), American hornbeam (''Carpinus caroliniana''), red maple (''Acer rubrum''),

blackgum ''Nyssa sylvatica'', commonly known as tupelo, black tupelo, black gum or sour gum, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North America from the coastal Northeastern United States and southern Ontario south to central Florida and e ...

(''Nyssa sylvatica''),

sweetgum ''Liquidambar'', commonly called sweetgum (star gum in the UK), gum, redgum, satin-walnut, or American storax, is the only genus in the flowering plant family Altingiaceae and has 15 species. They were formerly often treated in Hamamelidaceae ...

(''Liquidambar styraciflua''), and cottonwood (''Populus deltoides''). It is found in association with four other hickories– shagbark, mockernut, bitternut (''Carya cordiformis''), and water (''C. aquatica''), and numerous oak species, including swamp white (''Quercus bicolor''), pin (''Q. palustris''), white (''Q. alba''), Shumard (''Q. shumardii''), water (''Q. nigra''), Delta post (''Q. stellata'' var. ''paludosa''), swamp chestnut (''Q. michauxii''), and

Nuttall Nuttall may refer to: People * Nuttall (name) * Nuttall baronets Nature * Nuttall's oak, a fast-growing large deciduous oak tree native to North America * Nuttall's woodpecker, a species of woodpecker found in oak woodlands of California * Nutta ...

(''Q. nuttallii''). The herbaceous stratum includes numerous sedges and grasses. The shrub and small

tree layer Stratification in the field of ecology refers to the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. ''stratum'', pl. ''strata'') of vegetation largely according to the different heights to w ...

may be composed of painted buckeye (''

Aesculus sylvatica ''Aesculus sylvatica'', the painted buckeye, is a species of shrub. The species has five leaflets that are long and wide. The flowers are yellow and occasionally have red also. The species have dry fruit and brown, scaly bark. The species i ...

''), pawpaw (''

Asimina triloba ''Asimina triloba'', the American papaw, pawpaw, paw paw, or paw-paw, among many regional names, is a small deciduous tree native to the eastern United States and Canada, producing a large, yellowish-green to brown fruit. ''Asimina'' is the onl ...

''), flowering dogwood (''

Cornus florida ''Cornus florida'', the flowering dogwood, is a species of flowering tree in the family Cornaceae native to eastern North America and northern Mexico. An endemic population once spanned from southernmost coastal Maine south to northern Florida ...

''), eastern redbud ('' Cercis canadensis''), possumhaw ('' Ilex decidua''), poison ivy ('' Toxicodendron radicans''), and trumpet-creeper (''

Campsis radicans ''Campsis radicans'', the trumpet vine, yellow trumpet vine, or trumpet creeper (also known in North America as cow itch vine or hummingbird vine), is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae, native to the eastern United States, ...

'').

Life history

Sapling and pole stages to maturity

Carya laciniosa (Shellbark Hickory) (32521231364)

Growth and yield: The hickories as a group grow slowly in diameter, and shellbark hickory is no exception. Sapling size trees average per year in diameter growth, increasing to per year as poles and sawtimber. Second-growth trees show growth rates of per year. Shellbark hickory occasionally grows to a height of and a diameter of . Rooting habit: Shellbark hickory develops a large taproot that penetrates deeply into the soil. Lateral roots emerge at nearly right angles to the taproot, spreading horizontally through the soil. Major distinct lateral roots usually develop 12 inches or more below ground level and appear only after taproot is well formed. In Illinois, root growth was rapid in April, slowed during July and August, increased again in September, and ended in late November. Mycorrhizal associations are formed when trees are young. The only specific fungus identified from shellbark hickory roots is an ectotrophic mycorrhiza,''

Laccaria ochropurpurea Laccaria ochropurpurea is an edible mushroom found under hardwood and conifers Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta ( ...

''. Reaction to competition: Shellbark hickory is very shade-tolerant, exceeded only by sugar maple (''Acer saccharum'') and

beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...

(''Fagus grandifolia''). It grows slowly under a dense canopy, however. In stands with only partial shade, it reproduces well. It is a very strong competitor in most of the species associations in which it is found. Under forest conditions, shellbark hickory often develops a clear bole for half its length and has a narrow, oblong crown. Open-grown trees have egg-shaped crowns. Heavy release sometimes results in epicormic branching. Damaging agents: Although numerous insects and diseases affect hickories, shellbark hickory has no enemies that seriously threaten its development or perpetuation as a species. Seed production can be reduced significantly, however, through attack by several insects. Two of the most important are the pecan weevil (''Curculio caryae'') and the hickory shuckworm ('' Laspeyresia caryana''). The hickory bark beetle ('' Scolytus quadrispinosus'') feeds in the cambium and seriously weakens or even kills some trees. Adults of the hickory spiral borer (''

Agrilus arcuatus ''Agrilus arcuatus'' is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this fa ...

torquatus'') feed on leaves, but the larvae feed beneath the bark and can be very destructive to hickory seedlings. The flatheaded appletree borer (''

Chrysobothris femorata ''Chrysobothris femorata'', the flatheaded appletree borer, is a species of metallic wood-boring beetle in the family Buprestidae Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glos ...

'') likewise is a foliage-feeder as an adult, but its larvae feed on the phloem and outer sapwood. The living-hickory borer (''

Goes pulcher ''Goes pulcher'' is a species of beetle in the family Cerambycidae. It was first described by Haldeman in 1847, originally under the genus ''Monohammus ''Monochamus'' is a genus of longhorn beetles found throughout the world. They are common ...

'') feeds in the trunks and branches of trees. A twig girdler (''

Oncideres cingulata ''Oncideres cingulata'', the twig girdler, is a brownish-gray beetle, typically in length, in the longhorn beetle family. It is characterized by long antennae, long. Distribution The species is found in Eastern and Gulf Coast of the United Sta ...

'') can seriously affect reproduction by killing back the tops of seedlings and sprouts. Both standing dead trees and freshly cut logs are highly susceptible to attacks by numerous species of wood borers. A large number of insect species feed on hickory foliage. None of them causes serious problems for shellbark hickory, although they may be responsible for some stem deformity and growth loss. Shellbark hickory is free of serious diseases, but it is a host species for a variety of fungi. More than 130 fungi have been identified from species of ''Carya''. These include leaf disease, stem canker, wood rot, and root rot-causing fungi. Specific information for shellbark hickory is not available. Shellbark hickory is susceptible to bole injury from fire, and fire injuries are often invaded by wood rot fungi. It is resistant to snow and ice damage, but is susceptible to frost damage.

Uses

The seeds within shellbark hickory nuts are edible and consumed by ducks, quail, wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, foxes, raccoons, and white-footed mice. A few plantations of shellbark hickory have been established for nut production, but the nuts are difficult to crack, though the kernel is sweet. The wood is used for furniture, tool handles, sporting goods, veneer, fuelwood, charcoal, and drum sticks.

Genetics

Shellbark hickory hybridizes with the pecan, ''Carya illinoensis'' (''C.'' x ''nussbaumeri'' Sarg.), and shagbark hickory,'' C. ovata'' (''C.'' x'' dunbarii'' Sarg.). Shellbark hickory has 32 chromosomes. In general, species within the genus with the same chromosome number are able to cross. Numerous hybrids among the'' Carya'' species with 32 chromosomes (pecan, bitternut, shellbark, and shagbark) have been described.

Gallery

File:Carya laciniosa (Shellbark Hickory) (33978812346).jpg, Bud File:Carya laciniosa female flower.jpg, Female flowers File:Carya laciniosa (Shellbark Hickory) (34355481560).jpg, Catkins of male flowers File:Carya laciniosa (Shellbark Hickory) (34414586576).jpg, Bud break File:Carya laciniosa leaf.jpg, Terminal leaflet

References

External links

''Carya laciniosa'' images at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University Plant Image Database
*Damery, Jonathan
"Cracking a shellbark case."
''Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University'' website, 30 October 2018. Accessed 21 May 2020. {{Taxonbar, from=Q4215101 laciniosa Trees of the United States Edible nuts and seeds Trees of humid continental climate Trees of the North-Central United States Trees of Ontario Trees of the Northeastern United States Trees of the Southeastern United States