Hickory Harvest

As summer turns into fall we look to the trees, the leaves, the fruit, the nuts, all full and ready to fall. 
One of the most abundant of the nut trees here in Ohio is the hickory. There are three types of hickory here in Ohio, the butternut, the shagbark, and the shellbark.
"The number of leaflets on a Hickory leaf and their size are a good identifier. Bitternut are the smallest leaf (about one foot but usually with 7 leaflets) and Shellbark are the largest (one to two feet, also usually with 7 leaflets). Shagbark Hickory leaves tend to have 5 leaflets and the size ranges from one foot to 15 inches." -odnr

We'll be focusing on the shagbark hickory. 
(note, the tree pictured does have 7 leaflets but its fruits and bark verify it is in fact a shagbark)​

As the fruits ripen from late summer through early fall, their outer shell turns from bright green to dark brown, the shell will crack open and fall to the ground. 

Once fully ripened and upon the ground, they will easily come apart from their outer shell for easy collecting. 
After collecting, get a handy dandy set of nut crackers and pick, put on a movie, and open and pick out all the 'meat' from the shell. 

Fun facts about the hickory...

• Its cut timber is prized for making tool handles, athletic equipment, furniture, construction timbers, and firewood.
  
• Its "green" wood (or sometimes seasoned but freshly-wetted wood chips) is also sought after for the smoking of meats, especially pork meats.
  
• As a member of the Walnut Family, it is related to the Walnuts, as well as other Hickories (there are three types, namely the Pecans, the Shagbarks, and the Pignuts).
  
•  It can grow to 100 feet tall by 40 feet wide when found in the open.
  
• Shagbark Hickory is virtually disease and pest free, although many insects nibble at its foliage throughout the summer.
• Andrew Jackson, the seventh U.S. president and Major General during the War of 1812, was nicknamed “Old Hickory” because he was considered to be as tough as a hickory tree.
  
• Hickory nuts are a versatile and healthy wild food. They are packed with nutrients and healthy oils, and are dense in good calories.
  
• They are eaten by a wide range of wildlife species, including ducks, quail, wild turkeys, squirrels, chipmunks, deer, foxes, raccoons, and white-footed mice. 
  
• The minimum tree age for seed production in shellbark hickory is about 40 years, with most seed produced between 75-200 years. 

Harvesting season is upon us, see you in the woods!