Pecan

Illustration of pecan leaf and fruit.
Edible
Scientific Name
Carya illinoinensis
Family
Juglandaceae (walnuts)
Description

The pecan is a large tree with a narrow, pyramid-shaped crown in the forest, and a broad and rounded crown in the open. It is the largest of all the hickory trees.

Leaves are alternate, compound, 9–20 inches long, with 9–17 leaflets; leaflets 4–8 inches long, 1–3 inches wide, lance-shaped, curved; margins toothed; upper surface dark green; lower surface paler, smooth to hairy.

Bark is grayish brown to light brown when young, becoming dark reddish brown with age; ridges long, flat, loose.

Twigs stout, reddish brown, hairy, with numerous elongated orange-brown pores; bud on end of twig yellow-brown.

Flowers April–May, male catkins and female clusters separate on the same tree.

Fruits September–October, in clusters of 3–10; husk thin, aromatic, reddish brown, winged, splitting along 4 ridges at maturity to expose the nut. Nut thin, 1–3 inches long, 2–4 times longer than broad, cylindrical, pointed at the tip, light brown to reddish brown, with irregular black markings on the shell; kernel sweet and edible.

Size
Height: to 130 feet.
Where To Find
image of Pecan distribution map
Statewide except for northwestern counties.
Occurs naturally in rich, moist bottomland soils; widely planted elsewhere. Commonly associated in the wild with green ash, sycamore, pin oak, sweet gum, and cottonwood. Typically a southern species, pecan once grew only in the southeastern part of the state. It is thought that Native Americans cultivated this tree farther north and helped spread it. Pecans with large, thin-shelled nuts are grown in commercial orchards.
The name "pecan" has an interesting history. It started as an Illinois (Native American) word, "pakani," which early French-Americans learned and turned into "pacane" (try saying that with a Creole accent); this became our American English "pecan." But even then, pronunciations vary by region. New Englanders and many people along the Atlantic coast tend to say "PEE-can"; Louisianans, Texans, Oklahomans, Mississippians, and many Missourians say "pih-KAHN"; people in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and upper Michigan say "PEE-kahn"; and most other Americans say "pee-KAHN." Each pronunciation is correct, depending on the dialect you learned.
Pecan has been cultivated since 1766. More than 500 horticultural selections have been made to improve hardiness, productivity, and the nuts’ size, flavor, and ease of shelling. It is one of the most important cultivated nuts of North America. The wood is used occasionally for furniture, flooring, tools, and more.
The nuts are eaten by a variety of wildlife — larger birds, squirrels and other small rodents, opossums, raccoons, and deer. The trees also provide cover and denning areas for wildlife.
Media Gallery
Illustration of pecan leaf and fruit.
Pecan (Carya illinoensis)
Paul Nelson
1/4
Image of pecan leaves and nuts
MDC Staff
2/4
pecan tree
Courtesy Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
3/4
Illustration of shagbark hickory flowers, leaves, and fruits.
All hickory flowers are quite similar. They emerge in spring with the leaves. Both male and female flowers appear on the same tree.
Paul Nelson
4/4
Illustration of pecan leaf and fruit.
Image of pecan leaves and nuts
Free to use
pecan tree
Illustration of shagbark hickory flowers, leaves, and fruits.
Similar Species

Where to See Species

Boat ramp at Red Star Access
Red Star Access

The boat ramp closes when the river reads 33' on the Cape Girardeau river gauge. The boat ramp is not usable when the Mississippi River is at or below 8' on the Cape Girardeau river gauge.

view across river
Howell Island Conservation Area
Howell Island Conservation Area is located in St. Charles County, across the Missouri River from the Weldon Spring Conservation Area. Entrance to the island is by a causeway over Centaur Chute.
Photo of Bruns Access, gravel bar, and Maries River
Dr. Bernard Bruns Access
There are several diverse plant communities on this small conservation area. There are two fields of native grass/native forbs planted on the upland.
About Trees, Shrubs and Woody Vines in Missouri
There are no sharp dividing lines between trees, shrubs, and woody vines, or even between woody and nonwoody plants. “Wood” is a type of tissue made of cellulose and lignin that many plants develop as they mature — whether they are “woody” or not. Trees are woody plants over 13 feet tall with a single trunk. Shrubs are less than 13 feet tall, with multiple stems. Vines require support or else sprawl over the ground.