This is a medium size tree reaching 70-80 ft in height and 1-2 ft in diameter. It has a small open crown and normally a clear straight bole.

Leaves:
 Arrangement: alternate, compound; 5-7 leaflets with terminal longest

 Shape: ovate-lanceolate

 Margin: finely serrate

 Texture: glabrous above and pubescent below

The bark is thin and gray when young breaking into 1-3′ long plates that are free at one end with age.

The twigs are reddish-brown, stout, and lenticels. The relatively large terminal bud has pubescent scales.*

The nuts are slightly rounded and occur in pairs. The brown husk has a rough texture with indentations at the suture.

Look for a large terminal bud characteristic of hickories, and the the large pieces of shedding bark.

It occurs north as far as New York west to southern Wisconsin, south to Mississippi, and east to the Atlantic coast.

Shagbark has intermediate tolerance to shade. It typically grows on moist and mesic upland sites.

It produces a valuable wood used for furniture, flooring, and cabinetry. The mast is eaten by a variety of wildlife species.