Artwork courtesy of  ScientificIllustrator.com

The Pecan Tree is one of the most valuable North American nut producing trees. The common Pecan Tree, Carya illinoensis is a member of the hickory genus, Carya, of the wal-nut family. The natural range of the pecan tree is from southern Iowa and central Indiana southward almost to the Gulf of Mexico and southwestward to Texas and Mexico. It's range has been greatly extended by cultivation, and it is now grown on the Atlantic Coast and in California.

Mature pecan trees are usually 70 to 80 feet tall, but trees have been known to grow to 170 feet, with a trunk diameter of  eight feet at the base. The compound leaves, made up of lance-shaped leaflets growing from either side of the central stalk, are up to 20 inches long. The male flowers are drooping catkins. The female flowers appear as clusters or budlike growths at the end of twigs.

Each nut is borne in a green husk that opens at maturity. Pecan nuts are commonly oval or cylindrical, with pointed ends. Their smooth, tan brown shells vary greatly in thickness and their meats differ greatly in quality and flavor.  Easily cracked papershell varieties of superior flavor are usually selected for cultivation. Pecan nuts are eaten as snacks, used as flavoring for ice cream, candy and of course pecan pie. They may be eaten straight from the shell or may be roasted and salted. Pecans are about 10 percent protein and 7.3 per cent fat.

History of the Pecan Tree

Few trees have a more colorful American history than the pecan — a tree that was described by Western explorers as early as 1541, when Hernando De Soto and his band of gold seekers came upon it. The tree went on to earn acclaim from the earliest settlers of French Louisiana, when they learned of the high regard Native Americans held for the pecan's delicious nut meat, as well as for the dyes and oils made from parts of the tree. The pecan was soon a part of the cooking and culture of the French pioneers and others, a tradition that continues today and makes the pecan a prized tree. Today as in the past, the wood of the pecan is valued for the tremendous heat it produces when burned and for its great strength and toughness. Thomas Jefferson admired the pecan enough to plant nuts at Monticello and to send seeds to George Washington, who planted and cared for his own pecans. Today those pecans have the distinction of being the oldest living trees at Mount Vernon.

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Benefits of Planting

Pecans and hickories have not only served generations of Americans with their welcome shade, but they have also given their distinctive flavor to many uniquely American dishes. Their wood has warmed many a hearth and been fashioned into some of our finest furniture and most vital utensils and implements. These are beautiful trees which have a wide range of uses and with their rich American heritage, the pecan tree is the perfect addition to any property with an accommodating climate.

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