Ah, I was only thinking that the bark did NOT look like shagbark hickory. Carya ovata is the only hickory I have seen around here. (so far) definitely some kind of hickory then. I threw away the nuts. I'll have to get some more and take a closer look. Great website. Thanks

Thanks, everyone. I will try to find the other pics I took. What grew before? Lol! In my mind, I think of this section of the back garden as "The Empty Quarter" or "No Man's Land." for the past few years it has hosted some or all of the following: Latham raspberries that got tangled up with the mostly-now-transplanted 'Heritage' raspberries; bind weed; goldenrod (trying to weed out both); creeping Charlie (trying to remove); mongrelized tall garden phlox (removing this too); misc daylilies (roving these as well); and Jersey Knight aspagarus. The latter I am not harvesting, but trying to let the bed come back. I believe that this plant was the one which has small cream colored (4 to 5?) petals atop a tall (12") stem with chalky lichen green foliage. The foliage is minimal. I will try to find better photos. Is there a New England weed site? Book? I like field guides that have keys. Tall? Yes/No hairy stem? Y/N And so on.

Thanks, Sherry. It was in the front garden of a neighbor. I had to look up "penta" as I'venot heard of it. We are in Zone 5a New England. She might have a tropical plant (Penta) that she put outside for the summer, although any of the Penta plants shown online don't look familiar to me. There are deciduous trees and some evergreens. Around that garden area she grows TB iris, dianthus, peonies, bee balm (Monarda), saponaria, creeping phlox, morning glory, clematis, Russian comfrey, hosta, butterfly weed, rose of Sharon, rhododendron and azalea, dahlias. What are their native host plants. Don't bother, I will look it up. Thanks you very much. Yes, there is a critter (name) in the pupa. It moves. Yesterday afternoon, while raking our lawn, I spotted an interesting large hairy catarpillar a second interesting moth catarpillar. Dark brown-black hair, like a fat wooly bear cat, and when it curled up, I could see dark red (like red rubber) bands between each hairy segment. I have seen that type of cat before, but cannot recall its name. It was right on the grass where it could easily have been stepped on or eaten. I'll see if I can find a photo. ETA: Found it: http://www.pbase.com/image/29783694 Giant Leopard Moth Caterpillar. ETA#2: Lots of info and photos at link below: http://www.animalspot.net/giant-leopard-moth.html What a strikingly beautiful moth!

Thank you both! This is exactly what it is. One of my very favorite nuts. I want to slap myself for being so quick to cut down brush before identifying it. I could’ve had quite a little orchard by now and I’m sure the deer would enjoy it as well as the turkeys. Now I have to figure out how I can transplant it or take cuttings. It is growing in a very gravelly driveway area with a lot of bark mulch around it. I wonder if I’ll get to taste one before the animals get it. I’m so excited. Now I want to hear from anyone who has been growing them in my zone. Here is a link I just found: https://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2016/10/03/hazelnut-trees-are-easy/