Carya illinoinensis 'Gloria Grande'

"Gloria Grande' is a cultivar of the Carya illinoinenses pecan tree, a family of massive, upright spreading trees and grown mostly for its delicious edible nuts that appear in the summer  '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. 'Gloria Grande' is noted for high resistance to scab and consistent year-over-year yields as a mature tree.

The tree's deep taproots make transplanting difficult (a tree with a height of 6 feet may have a 4 foot taproot), so choosing the right location is imperative.  Locate in an area where you can ensure a deep, and moist (but well-drained) habitat. Pecan trees grow 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.

Varieties in the Carya illinoinensis family play a large part in the pecan production industry, however, fruit trees tend to produce fruit in two-year cycles.  There may be a large yield one year, followed by a smaller (or nonexistent) yield the next.  The fruit of the pecan tree matures late in the season, with little time prior to shedding its leaves for carbohydrate production and storage to support the next years' fruit.  Differing from other varieties of pecans, as a mature tree, 'Gloria Grande' will produce a crop in most years.

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.

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: 

Black aphids are an issue affecting this variety.  Having a very thick shell on the fruit (nuts) can cause low production, making this variety not suitable for commercial production.  This tree is susceptible to wind damage.  

VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.   

More information on Carya illinoinensis.