Gloria Grande Pecan Carya illinoinensis 'Gloria Grande'
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAIR-yuh il-ih-noy-NEN-sis
- Description
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'Gloria Grande' is a cultivar of the native pecan tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae). 'Gloria Grande' was discovered in Elloree, S.C. by W.W. Watson, owner of Watson's Pecanwood Nurseries, and introduced by Watson in 1923. The cultivar is named after Gloria Swanson, Mr. Watson's favorite actress. It was developed to thrive in the southeastern United States.
This variety grows 75 to 100 feet tall and 40 to 75 feet wide with a uniform, symmetrical, broadly oval crown. It tolerates clay, sand, and loam soils—alkaline or acidic—as long as they are well-drained and does best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. It has high drought tolerance once established. This tree has a deep tap root and will not tolerate transplanting. Be sure to choose your site wisely. Fertilize the tree each spring and prune in late winter to remove weak limbs and shape the tree for better nut production.
'Gloria Grande' produces thin-shelled fruits in 7 to 9 years and usually bears yearly, unlike many pecan trees. Nuts mature in October. The tree is a type-2 pollinator and requires a type-1 tree for pollination. Suitable cultivars are 'Cherryl', ' 'Desirable', 'Gafford' and 'Mandan'. For optimum pollination, NC State Extension recommends planting at least three cultivars with at least one of each pollination type for best cross-pollination. Learn more about selection, planting, and care of pecan trees
Use pecan trees as shade trees and for edible fruits. Small mammals also eat the fruits.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Aphids, pecan weevils, stink bugs, twig girdlers, and fall webworms can cause some issues. This is the most scab-resistant of any other pecan variety.
VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Carya
- Species:
- illinoinensis
- Family:
- Juglandaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruits feed small mammals and some birds. Larval host plant to the Luna moth. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
- Play Value:
- Buffer
- Edible fruit
- Screening
- Shade
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wind Break
- Edibility:
- Nuts are edible.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Oval
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- more than 60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- It produces large-sized nuts in clusters of 4 with excellent kernel quality. The seeds are also edible.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Insignificant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Insignificant, monoecious, appear April-May. Male flowers are 4"-long yellow-green catkins, female flowers are shorter spikes.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Smooth
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Alternate, medium green, 4-8" pinnately compound leaf with 9-17 leaflets; yellow fall color. Leaflets are lanceolate with serrate margins. Midrib of leaf and leaflets may be slightly curved. Fewer and longer leaflets than black walnut.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Furrowed
- Bark Plate Shape:
- Rectangle
- Bark Description:
- Grey-brown bark and rectangular furrows.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Bud Scales:
- No scales, covered in hair
- Stem Leaf Scar Shape:
- Encircles a bud
- Stem Lenticels:
- Conspicuous
- Stem Description:
- Grey-brown stems, raised lenticels, and pubescent buds in a U-shaped, usually shallow, leaf scar.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Meadow
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Shade Tree
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Drought
- Problems:
- Messy
