Why plant Audubon® Native Shellbark Hickory - USDA Organic?
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!
How to use Audubon® Native Shellbark Hickory - USDA Organic in the landscape?
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.
Audubon® Native Plants & Trees - USDA Organic
Audubon® Plants for Birds Program
Audubon is devoted to protecting birds and the places they need, while Bower & Branch is devoted to the growth of true native trees and plants–no cultivars or hybrids. Together, we strive to unite communities in conservation and inspire individuals to cultivate a better world for birds starting in their own backyards, balconies, or patios. By guiding and recommending trees and plants truly native and beneficial to your region, we can really start to make a difference.
What is the definition of Native?
“In the United States, a native plant is defined as one that was naturally found in a particular area before European colonization. Native plants are the foundation of a region’s biodiversity, providing essential food sources and shelter for birds, especially those threatened by the changing climate. Since native plants are adapted to local precipitation and soil conditions, they generally require less upkeep, therefore helping the environment and saving you time, water, and money.” – The National Audubon Society
Learn how you can help birds in your home and community through Audubon’s Plants for Birds program.
Audubon® is a licensed and registered trademark of the National Audubon Society. All rights reserved.
What does it mean to be USDA Organically grown?
- USDA Organic crops are grown exclusively on land that has gone without having non-USDA Organic approved substances applied for three years.
- No pesticides for us, please! Organically grown crops are highly regulated on what can and cannot be used for pest control—worried about harsh chemicals that have been sprayed on your plant? There is only a small number of approved synthetic chemicals that are allowed to be used. Otherwise, farmers use strict biological, mechanical, and physical management practices.
- Not just any type of seeds are used to grow and harvest organic plants: farmers can only use organic seeds or organically raised seedlings in their organic fields.
- Only the best handling is allowed! Organic and non-organic crops are not allowed to be commingled or near each other. Cross-contamination can occur, botching the organic plant's purity due to non-organic substances that could have been sprayed on non-organic harvests; this would cause the organic plant to be considered compromised.
- Fields are carefully cultivated through crop rotation and proper tillage practices to ensure that the soil and the soil's nutrients are kept at a happy balance. Animal manure, not sludge, is allowed to help infuse the soil with nitrogen to support the growth of the organic crops.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-8
How To Plant Audubon® Native Shellbark Hickory - USDA Organic
Just as Shellbark Hickory appreciates low, fertile plains in the wild, it favors deep, rich, moist soil in the home landscape, too. It will even tolerate seasonal flooding. A site with all-day sun is best—this tree will survive in part shade, but growth will be slower there, and even under the best of circumstances, Hickories do not grow fast. Eventually, it will get quite large, so be sure to give your tree plenty of room. Keep it away from patios and pools, where falling nuts may be a hassle.
How To Water
The Shellbark Hickory will appreciate regular water during its first few years in the ground and irrigation during long dry spells after it’s established.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant food granular form on an annual basis each late fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
Shellbark Hickories don't typically require pruning. However, it may be necessary to remove damaged, weak branches - so it would be best to do so in winter, when the tree is dormant.
How Does Shipping Work?
Bower & Branch Trees, the real BIG trees, don’t fit in a box! Our big trees, sizes XL and bigger, require expert delivery and care, that means our extra-large trees are shipped on Bower & Branch trucks. We are the only ones who know how to ship our big and bigger trees and plants with tender loving care. We deliver your trees and plants directly to you. Ask Bower & Branch about planting services – we'd be happy to assist in installation.
*For Big trees and Shrubs, Size XL and bigger: Review our Seasonal Shipping Timelines and Policy here.
Your trees and plants are grown across the United States at various Bower & Branch Growers. Depending on your location, your plant orders may be shipped from various locations. Please expect orders with multiple items to be delivered over a number of days as a result. Orders made up of numerous items or selections will not arrive at your home on the same day.
Shipping Delays:
From time to time, Bower & Branch Growers may determine to delay order shipment based on various factors for plant health. Weather in your region, as well as, where your plants are grown, is always considered when shipping. Extreme weather conditions may delay some or all of your order. Bower & Branch allows our Growers to make final shipping decisions based solely to benefit your trees and plants’ health and success.
How Does Sizing Work?
The size of our trees have nothing to do with the container size like you may find elsewhere–big doesn't mean just height - it’s also vigor, age, and overall health. Other online retailers are going to tell you that a plant is a seven gallon, that means nothing to your tree or plant (or you.)
Our trees for sale online are graded on large, x-large, and even bigger sizes. This is because our trees are sized by their age—the higher the letter, the more mature the tree. The age determines the trees’ overall height, size of the trunk and the overall branch density.
All of these characteristics are what you should be looking for when choosing a tree for immediate impact and instant curb appeal. Our extra-large tree and plant sizes are sure to wow you and your neighbors!
See the size guides below.
Our Guarantees
3-YEAR-TREE GUARANTEE:
Bower & Branch offers a Three-Year Tree Guarantee on all of our trees, sizes X-Large and up. Only the finest and the most experienced growers are awarded the opportunity to grow for Bower & Branch, so we offer the best guarantee available.
If your tree(s) should fail for any reason during the three-year guarantee period, you will receive an online gift card in the amount that you originally spent on the tree.* You can then use this online gift card for any Bower & Branch Purchase.
* Bower & Branch provides online gift cards in the amount of the original purchase price of the tree(s). The amount does not include any additional costs such as delivery, planting, tax, or any other products or services. Online gift cards can be applied towards any Bower & Branch purchase on BowerandBranch.com and have no expiration dates. Bower & Branch does not guarantee tree replacement or availability of any desired product at any time. Cash refunds are not offered. Bower & Branch requires that all original tags and receipts are present when a guarantee request is initiated. The Bower & Branch Three-Year Guarantee only applies to plant material that has been planted in the ground. Container plantings are NOT covered.
At Bower & Branch, we do our best to honor all guarantee fulfillment requests to ensure customer satisfaction. However, we reserve the right to refuse the request if the required guarantee steps were not satisfied. Bower & Branch also reserves the right to deny any guarantee fulfillment request that is made as a result of animal damage, problems with plant hardiness and zone issues, or acts of nature (snow storms, hurricanes, and similar).
Reach out to a Plant Whisperer with any questions:
- Email: plantwhisperers@bowerandbranch.com
- Phone: 866-873-3888
- Or via Online Chat