Shagbark Hickory, Carya ovata

I think the "red flowers" at the base of the leaf stalks are actually the remains of the bud scales or some type of stipule. They are pretty decorative though. The flowers are actually green hanging catkins that look like fuzzy caterpillars and come out a little later - they're kind of neat too.

Shagbark hickory is a quality tree most people would be glad to have. In a good year the leaves turn golden yellow in fall. The nuts are important to wildlife and are actually quite tasty for humans though small. The bark of mature trees is extremely interesting, and you can use the bark or wood for hickory smoking for barbeques.

it took me ages to figure out that those magnolia looking things were on a hickory!

thank you! Has anyone ever moved a small one of these from the wild (my woods)? I'd like to put on in my yard ~ which is a bit like a woodland. Not sure how well it would move though.

It has an extremely deep taproot and is difficult (impossible?) to move without killing it. I think you would have more success planting the nuts where you want a new tree to grow.

Although they are sold out for now, you can order them out of tree bands from Musser starting next Fall. This way there will be a greater survival rate.

Here is a link that might be useful: Musser Forests