Pawnee Pecan Carya illinoinensis 'Pawnee'
- Phonetic Spelling
- KAIR-yuh il-ih-noy-NEN-sis
- Description
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'Pawnee' is a cultivar of the native pecan tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae) and is a cross of 'Mohawk' and 'Starking Hardy Giant'. It was bred by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1963 and released in 1984. It is popular throughout the western and northern growing regions and is growing in popularity in the southeast.
This tree grows 20 to 30 feet tall with a 15 to 25 foot spread. It does best in full sun in well-drained moist fertile soil. Choose a permeate spot when planting as it has a deep tap root. Fertilize in spring and prune in late winter to remove weak branches and shape for best fruit production.
'Pawnee' produces large buttery fruits with thin shells in 8 to 10 years that mature in early September. It is a type-1 pollinator and requires type-2 trees for best nut production. It is compatible with 'Cherryle', 'Desirable', 'Elliot', 'Kanza', 'Lakota' and Mandan. It is more cold hardy than other pecan trees. The leaves turn an attractive yellow in the fall. Learn more about selection, planting, and care of pecan trees.
Being smaller than other pecan trees makes it more useful as a shade tree. Also grown for its edible fruits.
Quick ID Hints:
- Leaves are alternate, pinnately compound
- Leaflets are falcate, crenate
Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It has good resistance to aphids and to disease and insects in general, but nut scab can be a problem.
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:
- illinoiensis
- 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:
- Edible nuts.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- 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:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Nut
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- The pawnee pecan bears large-sized, high-percentage kernel pecans in clusters of 4. Ripens extremely early, in mid to late September. It is sweet and the high oil content adds to the flavor.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- Green
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Catkin
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- 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:
- > 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 Brown
- 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 shallow leaf scar.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Recreational Play Area
- Woodland
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Small Mammals
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Black Walnut
- Diseases
- Drought
- Insect Pests
- Problems:
- Messy
