What I Saw - Lake Cumberland, Southern Kentucky

Shagbark hickory - Lake Cumberland State Park, Kentucky

The shagbark hickory can grow to 100 feet in height.  There are four different hickory trees in Kentucky that have the peeling bark of this tree.  The shagbark hickory and the Southern shagbark hickory have five leaflets per leaf.  The shagbark hickory and the shellbark hickory have large fruits with the fruit being larger than two inches in diameter.  The water hickory has nine or more leaflets per leaf.  The water hickory is so rarely found that it is listed as a threatened tree in Kentucky.

Kentucky's natural places are so strikingly beautiful.  Even waterways marred by dams still show an attractive character.  Kentucky is a Xanadu for those who appreciate biological diversity.  The destruction of the landscape and the pollution of the streams is evident.  Yet natural Kentucky is resilient and worth knowing and caring for.  The many plants and animals that can live in Kentucky make it a showplace.   It is difficult to compare Kentucky to the wonders of other states.  For the Kentuckian traveling across the nation to see the great natural places is understandable.  For the Kentuckian that travels within the state to see the marvels of outdoor Kentucky that choice is an understandable and good choice.  Those who visit Kentucky find it land that they celebrate with appreciation especially if they like trees and animals.