Carya illinoinensis
Family: Juglandaceae
Description: Large tree with a rounded crown, attaining a height of 50 m. The trunk is often very large and may reach a diameter of 2 m. Leaves alternate, deciduous, odd-pinnately compound with 9-017 leaflets. Leaflets oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, with toothed margins. Flowers yellowish, male and female flowers separate on the same plant. Fruit, nuts in clusters of 3 – 2, the husk thin-skinned, 4-winged from top to bottom and enclosing the reddish brown, thin-shelled nut, which is from 1.4 to 2.5 inches long; seed deeply grooved and sweet to taste. Bark is grayish brown or light brown, divided by irregular, flattened, interlacing ridges broken into small, scaly surfaces. Twigs stoutish, reddish-brown with conspicuous orange-brown lenticles.
Field Identification: Tall, rounded top tree, with odd pinnate leaves. Leaflets are opposite connected to rachis stem by petiole. During fall and winter, the pecan produces oval to round nuts encased in a protective woody shell. Leaflets falcate (pointed at each end like a banana.
Plant Trivia: Cultivated for the commercially important pecan nuts. Pecan is the state tree of Texas. Discovered by Hernando DeSoto in 1541 in his wanderings throughout the southeastern United States. As his gold-seeking group emerged from the swamps of Eastern Arkansas, they came upon high, dry ground where the fields contained what Desoto’s scribe called walnut trees. However, the description was that of the pecan tree.
By 1762 French Creoles of Louisiana had included pecans into a confection known as the New Orleans praline. Before Americans began crossing the Alleghenies to invade the Mississippi Valley, traders brought these “Mississippi nuts” or “Illinois nuts” across the mountains along with beaver furs and ultimately introduced them to eastern US. Thomas Jefferson, the great tree planter, set out pecan trees at Monticello. He also gave the plant to George Washington for his Mount Vernon Estate. The pecans planted by both Jefferson and Washington are today the oldest trees visitors will find at these two sites.
In the early days of pecan exploitation, harvesting pecans was done by cutting down the entire tree and having boys of slaves climb through the fallen tree to gather the nuts which speaks to the idea that early Americans believed resources were endless. Hence, the wild pecan is now rare. By 1846 horticulturists were graphing stems onto wild stock (as is done today). The first grafting was done by Antoine, the black slave gardener of Governor Telephore J. Roman in St. James Parish, Louisiana. the “Centennial” was the first cultivar produced. Today over 100 cultivars of Pecan are known. Georgia is the leading pecan producing state.
Occurrence: Found on rich, river bottomland soils in eastern half of Texas. Common tree of river bottom habitat.
Bloom Period: Spring
Plant Use: Important food item to many kinds of wildlife.
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