Distinctive eastern North American native tree with characteristic peeling shaggy plate bark and brittle hard timber prized for tool handles, drumsticks, and smoking wood. Edible sweet nuts and excellent autumn colour.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 4–8 | −34.4 °C to −6.7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H7 | down to −20 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 4–7 | −29 °C to −7 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 2–5 | −10 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Timber is the principal North American hardwood for tool handles (axes, hammers, pickaxes) — exceptional shock resistance and resistance to splitting
- Smokes meat — the classic North American smoking wood for ham, bacon, and barbecue
- Edible sweet nuts (better than the bitter pignut and bitternut hickories) — but trees take 15+ years to bear
- Distinct from pecan (Carya illinoinensis, already in the database) — shagbark is smaller-leaved, smaller-nutted, and grown for timber more than nuts
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Shagbark hickory against your zones