Hardy Pecan Carya illinoinensis

Hardy pecan is a shade tree in the Juglandaceae (walnut) family and native to the central and east central United States and Mexico. It is grown mostly for its delicious edible nuts that appear in the summer after an insignificant bloom. 

Hardy pecan grows best in full sun to partial shade. It tolerates clay, sand, and loam soils—alkaline or acidic—as long as they are well drained. It has high drought tolerance. Learn more about selection, planting, and care of pecan trees.

Pecan trees can reach up to 130 feet in height but will usually grow 70 to 100 feet tall with a spread of 40 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. 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.  In the pollinator garden, it serves as a host plant 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. Scab can infect both nuts and foliage, but scab-resistant cultivars are available. See Clemson's publication on diseases of pecans.  Pecans are known for their brittle branches prone to breakage, especially in wind, and late frosts can reduce nut production.  

VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens.