- Region
- North America
- Origin
- Eastern North America, from Quebec to Texas
- Traditions
- Haudenosaunee medicine
North America · Food · № 935
Carya ovata
Food · North America
Shagbark hickory
Carya ovata
A nut tree of the walnut family, with bark that peels away in long strips. The nuts are rich and sweet.
Safety notes
Not with a nut allergy. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine: Not with a nut allergy.
Preparation
The nuts cracked and boiled; the oil that rises is skimmed off.
Use in traditions
Indigenous peoples of eastern North America ate the nuts and boiled them for their oil. According to the notes in Herrick, one healer made a syrup of the inner bark against worms, and strips of bark were used as torches.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) medicine
Attributed effects
Nuts and oil as food; the syrup against worms in adults.
Preparation and amount
Crack and boil the nuts; make a syrup from the inner bark.
Caution: Not with a nut allergy.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- DecoctionSyrup, honey and oxymel