Shellbark Hickory, Carya Laciniosa - Exceptional Trees on Waymarking.com

Photo composite of Shellbark Hickory:

The North Carolina Division of Forest Resources runs a program called North Carolina Champion Trees. The state is seeking out the largest native and non-native trees in North Carolina. This Shellbark Hickory is the only nominee so far in the species.

To reach this tree, park at the very back of the dance studio on Garrett Rd. Walk to the left of the playground and follow the sewer line easement southeast. Once you reach the 90 degree turn in the easement, enter the woods to the right. (If you try to enter the woods prior to this point, you'll hit some bogs and wetlands.) Continue to the tree. Long pants and boots are recommended for this walk. You'll be bushwhacking from here on and it's pretty thick in some spots. This is a flood plain, so a visit is not recommended after heavy rains.

This tree is located on U.S. Army Corp of Engineers property, so it's public land.

You are looking for a tall, twin-trunk tree. The trunk splits about 5 feet off the ground. (See photo below.) Your best view is from the bank of New Hope Creek. Since the forest is so thick in this area, I had to cross the creek to the opposite bank to take the composite photos shown above and it still took three individual photos to get the entire tree in.

I measured the girth of the largest trunk at 90 inches just above the point where the trunks branch - above 5 feet off the ground. (The submission on the N.C. Champion Tree site list this at 115 inches. I think the person submitting this measured the combined trunks.) Since I couldn't get far enough away and still see the tree (due to dense growth) to use the folded-paper-height-measuring trick, I am using the 123 feet posted at the state website. This particular tree is at the very top of the high range in height for the species.

Shellbark Hickory trees are native to North Carolina (but uncommon) and are one of 10 hickory species that are native to the state. (This includes pecans which are in the hickory family.) The hickory nuts themselves are about the size of a large walnut, only more flat in shape. They fall from the tree in a very thick four-segmented shell. If one of these were to hit you on the way down, it would definitely leave a mark! See the last photo below for a picture of the nut and shell. The nutmeat is edible and is described as sweet, but the shell is very hard and difficult to crack.

Thanks to paraclete whose Carya Laciniosa Geocache got me here in the first place back in January 2006.

GPS Shot:

To help locate the tree, here's what you're looking for at ground level - the trunk split:

Flat on my back at the base of the tree:

Hickory Nut and Shell: