Carya illinoinensis 'Elliot'

Hardy pecan 'Elliot' is a cultivar tree in the Juglandaceae (walnut) family. It is widely planted in the Southeast, mostly for its delicious edible nuts that appear in the summer after an insignificant bloom and for its resistance to scab.  'Elliott' produces a small, teardrop-shaped nut of very good quality, usually in alternate years.

'Elliot' grows best in full sun. It tolerates clay, sand, and loam soils—neutral to acidic—as long as they are well drained. It has high drought tolerance once established.  Learn more about selection, planting, and care of pecan trees.

'Elliot' will usually grow 50 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 30 to 75 feet. The largest of the hickories, this deciduous tree has a uniform, symmetrical, broadly oval crown and is massively-branched. Large major limbs grow up and out from the trunk in a distinctive upright, spreading fashion. On older trees, lower branches become wide-sweeping, with their tips almost touching the ground. Trunks can grow to 6 feet in diameter. 

Pollination is the second most important factor in purchasing pecan trees. Pecan trees are monoecious: they have separate male and female flowers on the same tree. Pollen is not released when flowers are receptive, so pollination within and between the same cultivars is limited. Cultivars are separated into type I and type II for pollination purposes. 'Eliot' is a type II pollinator.  For optimum pollination, NC State Extension recommends planting at least three cultivars with at least one of each pollination type for best cross-pollination. All cultivars have positive and negative attributes, so do your research before purchasing.

Nut production can be reduced in the northern part of its growing range, especially when spring is late and the summer is cool. It can be difficult to transplant due to a deep taproot, so choose your planting location wisely with its large mature size in mind. You can grow it from seed, but it will take the better part of a decade before the tree produces a significant crop. Pecans tolerate being planted near black walnut trees. This tree requires a medium amount of maintenance. 

Due to its size, this is a tree most appropriate for a large property. It makes a good shade tree in a naturalized, woodland, or recreational area and as part of a children’s, edible, or pollinator garden.

'Elliot' is a food source for the young larvae of the Hickory horndevil (Citheronia regalis) moth.

Quick ID Hints:

• Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound
• Leaflets are falcate, crenate

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Aphids, pecan weevils, stink bugs, twig girdlers, and fall webworms can cause some issues. Powdery mildew, peach leaf curl, fire blight, brown rot, bacterial spot, and cedar apple rust. Scab can infect both nuts and foliage, but 'Elliott' is a scab-resistant cultivar. Pecans are known for their brittle branches prone to breakage, especially in wind, and late frosts can reduce nut production.  

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

More information on Carya illinoinensis.