Shagbark Hickory Bonsai
Tall with a deep taproot that forces the tree to grow quickly with a tall trunk and a narrow but irregular crown and rough shaggy light gray bark.
Shagbark hickory bonsai. So this hickory tree. The edges of long plates of bark curl away from the trunk giving this tree a very rugged appearance. This tree is recognized not only for its size but also the critical ecosystem services that it provides such a food and shelter for. Common names include shellbark hickory scalybark hickory shagbark and upland hickory.
I read somewhere that shagbark hickory trees are bad for bonsai because they have compound leaves or something which i thought was funny because i also remember hearing that any tree could be used for bonsai. Hybrid hickory species. The shagbark hickory is the symbol of the pioneer age. I don t think they re all that great for bonsai.
Shagbark hickory carya ovata is probably the most distinctive of all the hickories because of its loose plated bark. This midwest native is named for its bark which peels away in large flat curving plates giving the tree a shaggy appearance. Mature shagbarks are easy to recognize because as their name implies they have shaggy bark. Other species growing right next to them like black tupelo hackberry and others are extremely good bonsai material.
Shagbark hickory s most prominent ornamental feature is its unique smoke gray bark that warps away from the stem in foot long plates. Carya ovata mill k. Wisteria which i do collect looks like a haystack from may through. The shagbark hickory tree grows very large 75 100 ft.
Fwiw there are hickory all over the place here. This plant has no children legal status. Atlantic and gulf coastal plain. Having leaves like a wisteria isn t a great selling point.
Red squirrels gray squirrels raccoons chipmunks and mice are consumers of hickory nuts. The leaves of the shagbark hickory tree have beautiful colors of red yellow and orange during the fall season. This champion common shagbark hickory of maryland made its debut on the national register of champion trees in 2017. As a member of the walnut family the hickory produces edible nuts.
Facu eastern mountains and piedmont. Carya ovata the shagbark hickory is a common hickory in the eastern united states and southeast canada it is a large deciduous tree growing well over 100 ft 30 m tall and can live more than 350 years. It is the largest known tree of its species in the country as reported to american forests. Shagbark hickory is evenly distributed throughout.
Other consumers include black bears gray and red foxes rabbits and bird species such as mallards wood ducks bobwhites and wild turkey. Shagbark hickory plant a shagbark hickory in a large landscape for excellent shade.