It is reddish-brown in color which gives this plant its local name of red hickory. It is said to be somewhat inferior to the other hickories but is used for the same purposes. The shagbark hickory is well-known because of its sweet and delicious nuts. The shagbark hickory thrives on rich, damp soil and is common along streams and on moist hillsides throughout the state. Outer bud scales have narrow tips on the scales.
Twigs are glabrous, or only slightly hairy, when young and have a light reddish-brown color.
The bark of the trunk is rougher on shagbark and shellbark than on the other hickories. Mature bark color is light gray, and the bark separates into thick plates which are only slightly attached to the tree. The mature bark gives this tree its common name. Leaves are composed of five, and rarely seven, obovate to ovate leaflets. The upper leaflets are larger than the lower ones.