“H” Is for Hickory Nut Trees

There are several types of hickory nut trees around: Shagbark, Shellbark, Pignut and Bitternut. I am most familiar with Shagbark because I became the owner of several when I purchased my home some years ago.


Mine are deep within the woods that inhabit 70% of our land. I have to go searching for them every fall and each time I tell myself I’m going to mark them so I don’t have to look for them the following year. But then, I reach the trees and I remember why I didn’t mark them. Shagbark, as its name implies, has a very distinct bark.

Distinct bark of the Shagbark Hickory tree

I would have liked to include a photo of my own for this post but I didn’t realize I was going to write about this until I sat at the computer. I did find a lovely photo that demonstrates the unique bark of the Shagbark. As you can see, the bark separates from the tree in long, shaggy strips.

Hickory trees are a hardwood and prized for tool and furniture making. There are also used as fire wood and to cure meats with their hickory flavor.

The nuts are in the walnut family. They develop inside a hull which is shed or peeled from the nut. The nuts are hard and difficult to crack but very tasty. The trees I have are very old and must reach 40 or 50 feet in height. Often the nuts have tiny worms in them. The trees are much too big for me to treat in any effective way. Still I enjoy collecting the nuts and savoring their distinct flavor each fall.

Hickory nut still inside hull

They make wonderful shade trees if you want to add one to your landscape. Just be aware that they have been known to reach 100 feet tall and may not be suitable for all situations. And the falling nuts can present a hazard and become a mess to deal with.

Hickory nuts being removed from hulls

“G” Is for Gift

OK, maybe this post really should have been “G” is for Geek because when it comes to my trees, that’s what I am…a tree geek. I see trees as gifts. Big beautiful, air-purifying, fruit, nut and beauty-giving gifts.


I was not always such a geek for the gifts of trees. I appreciated fruit and nuts just like anyone else. I loved the spring blossoms but let’s face it, the streets of Chicago offered limited opportunities for appreciating the variety of colors, sizes and shapes of trees.

When I moved to southern Illinois twelve years ago, I had never seen some of the trees that grow naturally here. And the climate is suitable for many types of fruit trees, not something I could have experienced easily further north.

We chose the piece of property we did in part because it already had so much going for it. There were mulberry trees, persimmons, choke cherries, elderberries and wild blackberries everywhere. The previous owners had added peach and plum trees and a concord-type grapevine.

As I acclimated to my new surroundings on 40 acres, I explored and fell in love. Shagbark hickory trees and black walnuts made their home in my little world. The second spring we were here I discovered the dogwoods. Small understory trees with white blossoms actually called bracts that looked like lace in the woods. And I absolutely came to adore the redbuds which are more like a purple if you ask me. Purple is my favorite color.

So each year I add one or two trees to the front border of our property. I am slowly adding all my favorites and it’s a blend of fruit and ornamentals. Someday I hope to have the whole stretch of road planted and enjoy the annual gifts of color and fruit they bare.Everyone will pass by and say "That's where the tree geek lives." I'm ok with that.