The nuts have thick husks, but the shell is thin and the meat is edible and sweet. These are the hickory nuts occasionally seen in stores. Shagbark Hickory prefers rich, moist soil and is often found with Oaks in open woods. In spring, the opening of Hickory buds, with their greatly enlarged bud scales, is a sight worth seeing.
Shagbark Hickory has gray bark with long, loose scales--even shaggier and looser than those of Sycamore. The leaves are alternate and compound, with five or seven rather broad, toothed leaflets. The stout twigs bear large brown buds.
