Carya laciniosa (Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory)
Carya laciniosa (Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory)
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$30 minimum per species for seed.
Each species requires a minimum of $30 of seed to proceed with checkout.
Pure Live Seed
Pure Live Seed
Seed is provided in Pure Live Seed (PLS) unless otherwise stated.
Pure Live Seed (PLS) expresses the viable seed content of a seed lot using its purity and germination or viability test results. It helps you compare seed lots and calculate how much bulk seed is needed to meet a specified PLS planting rate.
PLS weight and bag weight
PLS weight is not the same as the total weight of seed in a bag. For example, a lot with 80% purity and 75% viability contains 60% PLS: 80 × 75 ÷ 100 = 60. Supplying 10 lb PLS from that lot requires about 16.67 lb of bulk seed.
Use the current seed test and the stated basis of the mix specification. Germination calculations may include applicable hard or dormant seed. Seed-count estimates also require the number of seeds per pound; PLS alone does not provide a seed count.
What to check when buying a mix
Check whether each rate is stated in PLS pounds, bulk pounds, or a combination. A mix with both bases should not be described as having an all-PLS total.
PLS does not remove weed seeds or guarantee establishment. Review the seed label and analysis for weed content, and match site preparation, planting conditions and follow-up management to your project.
Sources: USDA NRCS, Understanding Pure Live Seed and The Importance of Seed Quality for Natural Resource Conservation.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
Weight Conversions lbs. to oz.
0.01 pounds = 0.16 ounces
- 0.1 pounds = 1.6 ounces
- 0.25 pounds = 4 ounces
- 0.5 pounds = 8 ounces
- 0.75 pounds = 12 ounces
- 1.00 pounds = 16 ounces
Shellbark Hickory is a large bottomland tree with peeling bark and substantial nuts. Its natural settings include low woods, river floodplains and stream banks. A mature tree commonly reaches 60 to 80 feet tall and can grow taller, so it needs a generous planting area. Yellow to golden-brown fall foliage and the bark add seasonal interest beyond the nut crop.
Choose rich loamy or silty soil with consistent moisture and sun to partial sun. The species tolerates temporary spring flooding, which makes it useful to consider for appropriate low ground. That tolerance should not be read as a recommendation for permanent standing water. Place it where fallen nuts, leaves and twigs will be manageable, particularly near paths, parking areas and maintained lawn.
Plant specifications
Key growing facts
| Sunlight | Full to partial sun |
|---|---|
| Soil moisture | Moist |
| Height | 60-100 ft |
| Bloom season | Mid- to late spring |
Native landscape companions
For partial sun / light shade and moist soil, consider these native plants alongside Carya laciniosa:
| Companion plant | Height |
|---|---|
| Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis) | 60-100 ft |
| Tall Bellflower (Campanulastrum americanum) | 2-6 ft |
| Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) | 1½–3 ft |
| Spreading Oval Sedge (Carex normalis) | 2–3 ft |
These landscape suggestions combine overlapping growing needs with documented plant associations. Match soil, seasonal wetness and mature spread to your site. Remnant records are described separately under Plant communities & associates.
Show / hide ▾Growing & planting details
| Growth habit | Tall, straight-trunked tree with an oval to elongated crown; reproduces by seed |
|---|---|
| Root form | Taproot |
| Soil pH | Published cultivation guidance lists acidic, alkaline, neutral soil conditions; no optimal numeric interval is established. |
| Cultivation hardiness zones | Zones 5a–8b (general cultivation guidance) |
| Drought tolerance | Low |
| Salt tolerance | None |
Plant identification & seed reference
| Botanical name | Carya laciniosa |
|---|---|
| Other common names | kingnut hickory; Big Shellbark Hickory; Broom Hickory; King Nut; Shagbark Hickory; Shellbark Hickory |
| Seed germination | USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified. |
| Plant family | Juglandaceae |
| Seeds per pound — reference estimate | 30 |
Plant characteristics
Carya laciniosa (Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory) is a slow-growing tree from the Walnut Family. Shellbark Hickory enjoys partial to full sun and moist conditions in deep loam or silt soils. It is a tree of flooded areas and can tolerate temporary flooding during the spring. This tree is uncommon to rare in all of Illinois particularly in northern Ilinois where it is only found sparingly in the Chicago area. It can also be found in northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
This tree is a slow grower and it may not produce nuts until a tree becomes 30 to 40 years old. Shellbark Hickory is not often used as a landscape tree because it can be messy to clean up, however, it is quite attractive. It has high wildlife value and typically resists storm damage. Due to its slow-growing nature, this tree can be on the small side when grown in pots when compared to other native trees.
Show / hide ▾Plant communities & associatesNo verified list yet
Illinois woodland and stream communities
Middle Fork Woods, Vermilion County (1999–2002 survey). Recorded in: dry-mesic upland forest — immature second growth.
Dry-mesic upland forest — immature second growth — selected native associates: Carex pensylvanica, Carex rosea, Elymus villosus.
These plants share a recorded habitat; they were not necessarily found in the same small plot.
Show / hide ▾Native range & C-value
State nativity describes a broad range. Use the Chicago-region assessment for local context; a state listing does not establish county nativity.
| Wetland indicator — NWPL 2022 Midwest | FACW |
|---|---|
| C-value — Chicago region, Flora 2017 | 9 |
| Chicago-region native — Flora 2017 | Yes |
| Native range — U.S. states | Alabama; Arkansas; Delaware; Georgia; Illinois; Indiana; Iowa; Kansas; Kentucky; Maryland; Michigan; Mississippi; Missouri; New York; North Carolina; Ohio; Oklahoma; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia; West Virginia |
| County nativity | Not yet verified; occurrence records do not establish nativity. |
Show / hide ▾Pollinators & wildlife
Other insect & wildlife relationships
Caterpillars this plant can feed
Hickory Horndevil.
- Nuts and browsing: Wildlife uses the nuts, and deer and other browsers eat the leaves.
Additional published species records; Illinois insect occurrence is not established by this account. These records do not guarantee that every insect occurs at your planting site.
Show / hide ▾Frequently asked questions
What are the ideal growing conditions for Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory?
Light: Full to partial sun. Soil moisture: Moist.
How do I germinate and establish Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory from seed?
USDA lists cold stratification as required; duration is not specified.
Is Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory deer and herbivore resistant?
Species-specific deer resistance has not been verified here. Even plants described as resistant may be browsed. Use physical protection where deer damage is a concern.
When should I expect Kingnut Hickory / Shellbark Hickory to bloom?
Typical flowering period: Mid- to late spring. Timing varies with location and weather.
Show / hide ▾Sources & ecological notes
Landscape companion selection: Natural Communities compared the growing requirements shown on these species pages with selected source records: Dry-mesic upland forest — immature second growth — East-central Illinois. The shortlist is a planting-design inference. A shared record does not establish adjacency, identical soil requirements, local seed origin, or a tested planting combination. Regional synthesis records retain their documented focal-to-associate scope.
Illinois woodland records: Larimore, Phillippe & Ebinger (2008), Middle Fork Woods flora, Appendix I. © 2008 University of Illinois Board of Trustees, CC BY 4.0. Habitat records transcribed, selected and linked to catalog names by Natural Communities. Survey: 1999–2002.
Native range & ecological ratings: Flora of the Chicago Region (2017), via Universal FQA; USACE Chicago FQA (2017); Kew WCVP / Plants of the World Online; USACE National Wetland Plant List.
Growing conditions & other references: Illinois Wildflowers, John Hilty; USDA NRCS PLANTS; NC State Extension Plant Toolbox.
Native range does not identify the origin of the seed or plants offered. Community and wildlife records apply to the locations and conditions described.
Research notes & credits
USACE/ERDC fqadata — Chicago Region FQA 2017. Herman, B., Sliwinski, R. & Whitaker, S. (2017), Chicago Region FQA Calculator; distributed by USACE/ERDC in fqadata under CC0. Values may differ from Flora of the Chicago Region (2017). CC0 dedication. Retained for comparison; the displayed C-value follows Flora database 80.
Range data: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; 4 June 2026 release, accessed 7 September 2026. © The Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. CC BY 3.0; selected and reformatted. Kew cannot warrant the quality or accuracy of these data. This use has no Kew endorsement.
Flora rating attribution: Kenneth Johnson (2018), Flora of the Chicago Region UFQA Database, following Gerould Wilhelm and Laura Rericha (2017), Flora of the Chicago Region: A Floristic and Ecological Synthesis. Individual rating facts are presented with original commentary; the calculator’s software license is not treated as a license for the underlying Flora publication.
Growing guidance: Illinois Extension — Keeping deer out of the yard and garden. Selected facts in original wording. General deer advice is not a species resistance rating.
Plant Shipping & Care
Plant Shipping & Care
We want to ensure that our customers get what they want, a native backyard oasis. To do that, we need to follow a few simple guidelines and give you some information and pointers to make sure you get your plants delivered in a healthy state.
As a reminder, you will receive an email to confirm your pickup or shipping window just before the plants are ready. See Order Fulfillment below for seasonal fulfillment windows.
Choices to Receive Your Plants & Accessories
- Website orders: Seed, plugs and bare-root plants offered for shipping are shipped to your address. Shipping charges are calculated at checkout.
- Container trees and shrubs: Some #3 and #5 container options are offered for scheduled pickup only. Check the selected product option and the cart pickup instructions before ordering. Pickup and shipped items require separate orders where indicated in the cart.
- Wholesale orders: Delivery and pickup are arranged separately according to the order, supplier yard and location. Wholesale pickup is free.
- Pickup locations and dates are confirmed by email. Please wait for confirmation before traveling to a pickup site. Our offices are not retail stores or nursery pickup locations.
Order Fulfilment - When Your Plants or Other Items Will Be Ready
We take orders all year long and seed is shipped all year, but we only provide the plants to you in certain fulfillment windows to ensure healthy plants.
Wholesale Orders
- Shipped or are Ready For Pick Up As Requested.
Retail & Website Orders
- Seed Typically Ships Out Within One Week Of Order All Year Long
- Typically, single species flats ship when ready, sometimes as soon as early to mid-April (depends on weather) through early-October.
- Mixed species kits are batched and shipped as indicated on the product page.
- If a plant order is placed while outside of the plant fulfillment window your plants will be reserved through your payment, however, the order will not be fulfilled and shipped until the following spring. We don't want to provide you plants when they won't be happy during the cold winter months.
- Early in the spring and later in the fall certain species may be dormant or partially dormant with brown leaves, however they will return to grow healthy next growing season.
- Your order may arrive in several different shipments.
- If certain plants within an order will not be available until a later date, we may choose to hold the full order until all are ready. In certain circumstances, we may choose to send them in two separate shipments
- Fulfillment is always dependent upon plant availability. We try our best but sometimes plants do not overwinter well and perish. If a plant is on back order you will receive an email indicating the estimated shipping date. If we can not provide the plant we will first notify you and give you an option of substitution or a refund of that individual species.
- Plants are typically only packaged and shipped on Mondays to ensure they do not sit in the harsh delivery facility for extended periods of time over the weekend. You will receive a confirmation email once your delivery has been shipped and to estimate your delivery date.
- Apparel & accessories are ready typically within one to two weeks. See product page for holiday shipping.
Where We Ship
What to Expect When Receiving Your Delivery
- Your plants will be packaged with the utmost care
- We will need to cut back certain plants prior to shipping. This seems counter-intuitive, however, the fewer leaves the less water the plants can lose during shipping, resulting in healthier plants for you. This also enables the plants to fit within the protective packaging and shipped safely.
Shipments
- Larger plant shipments will look similar to the picture below with a tray of your plants and a cardboard box to protect them during shipping.
What to Do With Your Plants After Receiving Your Delivery
- Unpack your order IMMEDIATELY
- Inspect for damage and report any issues immediately to Natives@NaturalCommunities.net
- Water your plants
- Install your plants as quickly as possible and water the entire garden area thoroughly
- If you cannot install your plants immediately
- Some plants may not be in a container, put them into some kind of a container such as a paper cup with loose soil until installation
- Make sure each plant is receiving the appropriate amount of light.
- Continue to water daily each morning and possibly again in the afternoon
- No additional fertilizer is needed
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed Shipping & Care
Seed ships all year and typically ships within a week of an order being placed.
We have attempted to put together some basic information regarding native seed installation, establishment, and maintenance. We hope you find it helpful. If you need further assistance on native seed establishment, please schedule a free consolation call here.
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