Shagbark Hickory

Pollinator Value

🔑 Keystone: Genus Carya supports 186 species of butterflies and moths as caterpillar host plants in the Ottawa-Gatineau ecoregion. Shagbark hickory is one of two native Carya species locally (with C. cordiformis), providing critical larval habitat for specialists including the Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Walnut Sphinx (Amorpha juglandis), and several Catocala underwing moths. The peeling bark provides overwintering shelter for many invertebrate species.
S13 186 lep spp; S10 invertebrate shelter; S14 56 host records
🐛 Larval Host: Amorpha juglandis, Lochmaeus manteo, Xanthotype sospeta, Papilio glaucus, Acronicta funeralis, Campaea perlata, Actias luna, Euclea delphinii, Lophocampa caryae, Schizura concinna, Antheraea polyphemus, Automeris io, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma
S13+S15 14 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Hickory nuts persist on the ground through winter and are consumed by Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Red Squirrel, Southern Flying Squirrel, Eastern Chipmunk, Black Bear, and Raccoon. Among birds, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Red-bellied Woodpecker feed on the nuts. The deeply furrowed, peeling bark provides critical winter roost sites for bats including Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) and Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis), and nesting habitat for Brown Creeper.
S57 Rose-breasted Grosbeak; S10 squirrels, chipmunks, woodpeckers, bats

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Ranked S3 (Vulnerable) in Quebec, reflecting its position at the northern edge of its range where it is restricted to scattered sites in the St. Lawrence Lowlands and southern Outaouais. Ranked S5 (Secure) in Ontario where it is widespread in the Carolinian and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest regions. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Globally ranked G5 (Secure).
S22 QC S3, ON S5, G5; S26 not SARA listed
Rarity Ranks: QC S3 – Vulnerable, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Shagbark hickory is a climax species in the oak-hickory forest association, typically found on upland south-facing slopes in the northern part of its range and on more fertile alluvial soils farther south. In the Outaouais region it is rare, historically documented near Aylmer and Casselman, where it occurs in mixed hardwood forests alongside sugar maple, oaks, and other hickories. It is intermediate in shade tolerance, persisting as suppressed understory trees for decades and responding vigorously when released by canopy gaps.
S41 climax species, intermediate shade tolerance; S63 rare in Ottawa-Hull; S7 dry upland forests with oaks

Roles: Erosion Control, Fire Retardant, Fortress/Barrier, Nutrient Accumulator, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Erosion Control: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 149, 186)] | Fire Retardant: S73 [MEDIUM]: S11 Fire Tolerance = Medium (not definitional)] | Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Nutrient Accumulator: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 149, 186)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 10-1, 6-2, appendix_a, pp. 96, 149, 186)]
Notes: As a tall canopy tree with deep taprooting habit, shagbark hickory serves as an excellent overstory anchor in permaculture guilds and food forest plantings. Its late leaf-out (late May to June) and early leaf drop (October) provide a long window of light for understory species. It is a dynamic calcium accumulator via its deep taproot, cycling nutrients from subsoil to the surface through leaf litter. The heavy mast of sweet nuts supports wildlife guilds while the exfoliating bark provides critical invertebrate overwintering habitat.
S72 Ca accumulator, wildlife habitat; S29 late leaf-out June to October; S41 deep taproot

Category: Analgesic, Antirheumatic, Anthelmintic, Dermatological Aid, Gynecological Aid, Tonic
S28 Chippewa analgesic, Iroquois antirheumatic/anthelmintic/dermatological, Delaware gynecological/tonic
Notes: Chippewa steamed fresh small shoots as an inhalant for headache. Iroquois used a decoction of the bark both internally and as a poultice for arthritis, and a compound decoction with inner bark for worms. Nut meat oil was used for hair treatment, alone or mixed with bear grease. Delaware Ontario used compound infusion of bark for gynecological complaints and general debility. Health Canada NHPID lists bark extract as a topical skin-conditioning agent and oral flavour enhancer.
S28 10 drug/medicine uses; S29 analgesic, antirheumatic; S36 NHPID bark extract approved

✅ Edible ✅ Commonly Eaten

Foraging Notes: The sweet nuts are the most prized of all hickory species and were a staple food for Indigenous peoples across eastern North America. Iroquois, Dakota, Meskwaki, and Ojibwa nations used the nuts extensively: crushed and boiled to extract a rich oil for cooking, mixed into corn bread and pudding, added to soups, and stored for winter use. The sap can be tapped in spring and boiled into syrup. Nuts ripen in late autumn and can be stored in the shell for up to 2 years in a cool cellar.
S28 37 food uses; S29 seed raw or cooked, sap tapped for syrup; S61 sweet nuts edible