Are a shellbark or shagbark hickory tree's leaves smooth or textured/prickly/fuzzy?
Question:I am trying to determine how to differentiate between Hickory and Ash trees.
Thanks for any help you have!
Answers:
Carya ovata Shagbark Hickory alternate,pinnately compound, 8 to 14" long, 5 leaflets, rarely 7, 4 to 6" long, 1/2 to 2 1/2" wide, elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, serrate and densely ciliate, pubescent and glandular below when young, finally glabrous, deep yellow-green. ciliate=marginally fringed with hairs. pubescent=covered with short soft hairs. glabrous=not hairy. so, fuzzy when young and smooth when old. ash is opposite and not serrated
I don't see shagbark or shell bark hickories here in coastal Maryland and it's been years (decades actually) since I studied tree taxonomics. One common characteristic I use is that hickory leaves, when crushed, have an acrid, aromatic quality. Ash trees, from memory, do not.
Hope this helps.
The leaves of the hickory is shiny on top and less shiny on
the bottom. No fuzz. They look the same as the leaves of
the pecan tree. There are three types of hickory here in N.W.
Tennessee. # 1; The "pig nut hickory" so named because a
pig can chew them. # 2; The "scaly bark hickory" so named
because of the bark on the trunk. # 3; The "river bottom
hickory" so named because of where they grew. These are
very rare and are about twice the size of the shagbark or
scaly bark hickory. If you plain on planting the nuts to grow
hickory trees, remember to put them in the ground no more
than 1 inch deep. Remember also to have the seem up and
down. That is so 1/2 of the shell will not hold water causing
half the seed to rot. One half of the seed makes the root
and the other makes the tree. If you need more information
on the "river bottom hickory " fallow my link. Hope this was
of some help and good luck.
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