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Native Plant Society of Texas

Pecan

Carya illinoinensis

Other common name(s):

Family:

Juglandaceae (Walnut Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Leaflet Tiles © Esri — Esri, DeLorme, NAVTEQ, TomTom, Intermap, iPC, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), and the GIS User Community
Central Great Plains, Chihuahuan Deserts, Cross Timbers, East Central Texas Plains, Edwards Plateau, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, Southwestern Tablelands, Texas Blackland Prairies, Western Gulf Coastal Plain
Broken Red Plains, Limestone Plains
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas
Eastern Cross Timbers
Bastrop Lost Pines, Floodplains and Low Terraces2, San Antonio Prairie, Southern Post Oak Savanna
Balcones Canyonlands, Edwards Plateau Woodland, Llano Uplift, Semiarid Edwards Plateau
Floodplains and Low Terraces4, Lower Rio Grande Alluvial Floodplain, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Northern Humid Gulf Coastal Prairies
Semiarid Edwards Bajada
Floodplains and Low Terraces1, Northern Blackland Prairie, Southern Blackland Prairie
Flatwoods

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Tree

Height

60
to
75
ft.

Spread

40
to
75
ft.

Leaf Retention

Deciduous

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Deep, Moist

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

High

Native Habitat

Woodland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nuts, Larval Host, Nesting Material

Wildlife Benefit

Butterflies, Birds, Small Mammals

Maintenance

Slow growing. Makes an excellent shade tree. Needs deep soil. Hard to transplant due to long tap root. May be pruned for shape or to raise canopy. Susceptible to galls, twig girdlers, aphids, borers, weevils, pecan scab, tent caterpillars, and webworms. Native habitat: wooded bottomlands and stream banks. Propagation: seed.

Comments

A tall impressive tree with compound leaves divided into 11-17 lance-shaped leaflets. Inconspicuous flowers are arranged on long hanging clusters. The fruit is an oblong nut, enclosed in a thin husk, splitting open at maturity. Larval host: Gray Hairstreak. Replaces non-natives: Tree of Heaven (Varnishtree, Stinktree).
Previous Scientific Name(s): Carya oliviformis, Carya pecan, Hicoria pecan

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAIL2. 3) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Carya+illinoinensis&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 4) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=13079&locationType=County&mapType=Normal. 5) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 6) Wasowski and Wasowski, Native Texas Plants Landscaping Region by Region, 1991, pg. 332. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=19234#null, 8) Native and Adapted Landscape Plants, City of Austin and Texas A&M, 2014.
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