Smooth Hydrangea Shrub Flowering Trees and foundation plantings Plants For Ohio and foundation plantings The hickory nut tree changes with the seasons‚ for in spring it has to wake its slumbering limbs by budding forth into life‚ with blossoms and light green leaves which pollinate in the warm sunshine․ It is the season of new birth‚ of awakening‚ when with my foot I crack the outside of a hickory nut․ In summer the rich potential of the tree is realized in a thickened canopy that provides cool shade for numerous forms of life that nestle beneath the foliage․ It also provides a brilliant display in the fall when the leaves turn colors and fall to the ground‚ not only to signal the end of the season but also to welcome the next season as they aid in nourishing the earth․ In winter‚ the tree stands out against the snow and frost as its limbs point to the clear blue sky representing peace and solitude․ Planting native plants regardless of winter weather or soil pH