Audubon® Native Shellbark Hickory Treeling

The large, sturdy, long-lived and ruggedly handsome Shellbark Hickory will be a key component of your backyard bird habitat. This noble native shade tree attracts a wealth of caterpillars and other insects that songbirds love. Birds will come to feed, and they’ll also bring some nourishment back to their young—insect protein is vitally important to developing chicks. In time, your Shellbark Hickory will start to produce crops of big, sweet nuts, which jays and woodpeckers relish. Smaller birds, finding the nuts tough to crack, will find plenty to eat among the scraps dropped by squirrels. Oh, and you’ll find the nuts delicious, too!

Shellbark Hickory was once a familiar sight along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. It grew tall and proud on the floodplains there, nourishing people and wildlife, creating shade, stabilizing the soil, and preventing erosion. Then, the pioneers came and cut those old giants to the ground. As the floodplain soil was considered prime farmland, the trees had to go. They soon became ax handles, wagon wheel hubs, furniture, and firewood. Few mature trees remain but you can help revive this magnificent species by planting Shellbark Hickory on your own property. Let it rise to glory once more!

Have you even found one of those bizarre walking stick insects? They use Shellbark Hickory as a host plant! The royal walnut moth is another interesting insect that lays its eggs on Hickories. Its wingspan can be six inches wide.