Shellbark hickory commonly grows in association with American ("Ulmus americana"), slippery ("U. rubra"), and winged elms ("U. alata"), white ("Fraxinus americana") and green ash ("F. pennsylvanica"), basswood ("Tilia americana"), American hornbeam ("Carpinus caroliniana"), red maple ("Acer rubrum"), blackgum ("Nyssa sylvatica"), sweetgum ("Liquidambar styraciflua"), and cottonwood ("Populus deltoides"). It is found in association with four other hickories–shagbark, mockernut, bitternut ("Carya cordiformis"), and water ("C. aquatica"), and numerous oak species, including swamp white ("Quercus bicolor"), pin ("Q. palustris"), white ("Q. alba"), Shumard ("Q. shumardii"), water ("Q. nigra"), Delta post ("Q. stellata" var. "paludosa"), swamp chestnut ("Q. michauxii"), and Nuttall ("Q. nuttallii").