# pecan (*Carya illinoinensis*) The pecan tree is a tall tree that produces delicious nuts called pecans. These nuts are great for snacking and are often used in pies and desserts! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Pecan Nut Tree ![pecan](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Carya_illinoinensis_%28pecan_tree%29_1_%2824790682337%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: James St. John, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carya_illinoinensis_%28pecan_tree%29_1_%2824790682337%29.jpg) ## Appearance The pecan is a large deciduous tree with rough, deeply furrowed bark and long, compound leaves that turn golden in autumn. Its distinctive nuts are oval-shaped, smooth, and brown, encased in a green husk that splits open when ripe. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Fagales - **Family:** Juglandaceae - **Genus:** Carya ## Interesting facts - It takes about 7 to 10 years for a pecan tree to start producing nuts! - Pecans are the only major tree nut that is native to North America! - Texas named the pecan tree its official state tree back in 1919! - The word 'pecan' comes from an Algonquin word for 'nut needing a stone to crack'! ## Special abilities - **Taproot Power:** Pecan has a super-long taproot that can reach deep underground to find water, helping it survive dry spells. - **Wind Whisperer:** Pecan trees use the wind to carry pollen from male flowers to female flowers, ensuring new nuts are formed. - **Tough Shell Shield:** Pecan nuts have a tough shell that protects the delicious seed inside from hungry animals until it's ready to sprout. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 2000-5000 cm - **Spread:** 1500-3000 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Wind ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [Eastern gray squirrel](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-gray-squirrel) (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Foraging on fallen nuts. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Browsing young shoots and nuts. - **Eaten by:** [Blue jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) — Storing and eating nuts. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Nut Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/nut-bearing): Nut bearing plants produce hard-shelled fruits, commonly known as nuts, which contain a single seed and are a valuable food source. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Agricultural](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/agricultural): This human use trait describes species cultivated or domesticated by humans for agricultural purposes, including crops and livestock. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Be careful not to eat nuts you find outside unless you know they are safe! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify pecan? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is pecan? 2000-5000 cm ### How wide does pecan spread? 1500-3000 cm ### When does pecan bloom? Spring ### Is pecan edible? Yes ### Is pecan toxic? None ### What is pecan's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is pecan pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Americus Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/americus-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [San Antonio Missions National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/san-antonio-missions-national-historical-park) — Texas, US · National Park - [Secessionville Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/secessionville-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [Fairhope Plantation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fairhope-plantation) — Alabama, US · Historic Site - [Grant Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grant-park) — Georgia, US · Park - [Lock and Dam No. 20](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lock-and-dam-no-20) — Illinois, US · Historic Site [View all places to see pecan](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/pecan) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Pecan: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pecan)