Leaf guide › Compound leaves
Shagbark hickory
Carya ovata
Golden yellow compound leaves on a tree with bark that peels in long strips.
Updated
- Fall color
- YellowBronze
- Turns
- Mid-season
- Leaves
- Alternate (one per spot)
- Size
- 8–14 in. long overall
- Found in
- Midwest, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, New England & New York
How to recognize it
- Compound leaf with five leaflets (sometimes seven).
- The top three leaflets are much larger than the bottom pair.
- Finely toothed edges.
- Bark peels away in long, curling strips.
Easy to confuse with
White ash
Leaves grow in pairs, and the leaflets are all about the same size.
Black walnut
Fifteen to twenty-three narrow leaflets, and it turns yellow and drops early.
Worth knowing
Shagbark hickory nuts are sweet and prized by squirrels and people alike. Hickory wood is one of the strongest native hardwoods.
Common questions
What color does shagbark hickory turn in fall?
Shagbark hickory turns yellow and bronze in fall. Golden yellow compound leaves on a tree with bark that peels in long strips.
When does shagbark hickory change color?
It usually colors in the middle of the local season, close to overall peak.
How can you tell shagbark hickory from white ash?
White ash: Leaves grow in pairs, and the leaflets are all about the same size. Shagbark hickory: Compound leaf with five leaflets (sometimes seven).
Where does shagbark hickory grow?
In the lower 48, look for it in Midwest, Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic, New England & New York.
See where the color is peaking today.
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