Shagbark Hickory, Carya Ovata, Hardy! Tree 4 Seeds Leaf: Deciduous smooth, medium yellow-green odd-pinnate (feather-like) compound leaves, with each leaf having 5 to 9 pointed leaflets. Leaflets range from 8 to 14 inches long. Leaves turn a showy yellow to golden brown in fall. Flower: Monoecious (separate male and female flowers on the same plant). Male flowers in hanging pendulous, yellow-green catkins, often in pairs of three (3 to 5 inches long); females are small and yellowish green, 4-angled short spikes. Flowers appear in April-May when the leaves unfold and are pollinated by the wind. Fruit: Female flowers give way to sweet, edible nuts that are nearly round, thin shelled and 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Each nut (technically a drupe) is encased in a green husk which splits open in four sections when ripe in fall. The husks often persist on the tree for weeks after the nut has fallen. It normally takes 8-15 years for a young tree to bear a nut crop. The nuts are attractive to a variety of wildlife. Twig: Stout and usually tomentose, but may be somewhat pubescent near terminal bud, numerous lighter lenticels; leaf scars are raised, 3-lobed to semicircular - best described as a "monkey face"; terminal bud is large, brown, and pubescent, covered with 3 to 4 brown scales, more elongated than other hickories. Bark: At first smooth and gray, later broken into long, wide plates attached at the middle, exfoliating in long strips away from the trunk resulting in a coarsely shaggy appearance. Form: A large tree (can reach heights well over 120 feet) with a straight trunk and an open round to oblong crown. Our seeds/bulbs are guaranteed to be fresh but are NOT guaranteed as to results. Sorry, but there are too many variables in gardening that can impact germination. Flower seeds/bulbs are a live organism. Their germination depends on many factor including heat, cooling, sun, shade, moisture, time of sowing, etc. None of these things We can control so We can not be held responsible for them. So please do not ask for a refund, replacement or to return unused seeds/bulbs.