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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 .
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.
Reaction to competition: Shellbark hickory is very shade-tolerant, exceeded only by sugar maple ( Acer saccharum) and American beech ( 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.Merz, Robert W. 1965. Shellbark hickory (Carya laciniosa (Michx. f.) Loud.). In Silvics of forest trees of the United States. p. 132-135. H. A. Fowells, comp. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 27 1. Washington, DC. Heavy release sometimes results in epicormic branching.
On mature trees, the bark peels away from the trunk in long, sometimes broad, strips. This gives the trees a "shaggy" appearance that is easily confused with that of the Shagbark hickory ( Carya ovata). That close similarity is the reason Shellbark hickories are frequently misidentified. A closer examination of other traits is usually needed to distinguish the two species.
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 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) likewise is a foliage-feeder as an adult, but its larvae feed on the phloem and outer sapwood.
The living-hickory borer ( Goes pulcher) feeds in the trunks and branches of trees. A twig girdler ( Oncideres cingulata) 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.Baker, Whiteford L. 1976. Eastern forest insects. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Miscellaneous Publication 1175. Washington, DC. 642 p.
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.Hepting, George H. 1971. Diseases of forest and shade trees of the United States. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Handbook 386. Washington, DC. 658 p.
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.
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.
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.
Shellbark hickory commonly grows in association with American elm ( Ulmus americana), slippery elm ( U. rubra), and ( U. alata), white ( Fraxinus americana) and green ash ( F. pennsylvanica), basswood ( Tilia americana), American hornbeam ( Carpinus caroliniana), red maple ( Acer rubrum), blackgum ( Nyssa sylvatica), sweetgum ( Liquidambar styraciflua), and cottonwood ( Populus deltoides). It is found in association with four other hickories–shagbark hickory, mockernut, bitternut ( Carya cordiformis), and water hickory ( C. aquatica), and numerous oak species, including swamp white ( Quercus bicolor), pin oak ( Q. palustris), Quercus alba ( Q. alba), Shumard oak ( Q. shumardii), water oak ( Q. nigra), Delta post ( Q. stellata var. paludosa), swamp chestnut ( Q. michauxii), and Nuttall oak ( Q. nuttallii).
The herbaceous stratum includes numerous sedges and grasses. The shrub and small tree layer may be composed of painted buckeye ( Aesculus sylvatica), pawpaw ( Asimina triloba), flowering dogwood ( Cornus florida), eastern redbud ( Cercis canadensis), possumhaw ( Ilex decidua), poison ivy ( Toxicodendron radicans), and trumpet-creeper ( Campsis radicans).
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