Northern Pecan Tree

Northern Pecan Tree

Northern pecan trees not only bear delicious healthy buttery nuts but are also great shade trees. Since they are a favorite of many animals, such as squirrels and birds, they also have a high wildlife value. Additionally, Northern Pecans are also very cold hardy and can grow where other pecan varieties may not be able to. Moreover, the pecan tree is the only nut tree native to North America. In fact, Native Americans would use it as currency. They also used pecans to make a fermented drink called “Powcohicora,” from which the word “hickory” comes from. The name “pecan” comes from the Native American Algonquin word “pacane” which means “nuts requiring a stone to crack.”

Growing Characteristics

• Uses: You can use pecans for many purposes, one of the most delicious being pecan pie. You can also eat it fresh, cook with them. The tree itself is a great shade tree.
• Benefits: Pecans not only have lots of vitamins and minerals (over 19), but they also have antioxidants which reduce bad cholesterol. Additionally they are heart-healthy and have 87% unsaturated fatty acid. 
• Taste: Because of their high fat contents, the pecan has a delicious, sweet, nutty, and buttery flavor. 
• Size: At maturity, the tree can get to 70 to 100 feet tall with a width of 40 to 80 feet.
• Color: The pecans themselves are encapsulated in a brown shell. In the fall, the tree turns a beautiful yellow color.
• Hardiness Zones: 4 – 9
• Pests and Diseases
  • Some of the pests and diseases that pecan trees are susceptible to induce
    • Scab 
    • Downy Spot
    • Brown Spot
    • Powdery Mildew
• Harvest Period: October 
• Pollination: Although pecans can self-pollinate, this doesn’t lead to great nut production. Therefore, pecans needs another pecan tree to cross pollinate. 
• Cultivation: The most important thing for pecans during the early years are keeping the tree fertilized, watered, protected from pests and diseases, and pruning. For fertilizing, you can add some nitrogen-based fertilizer around the tree into the soil every couple of weeks in the first couple of years. Then you can add zinc sulfate (which is important for nut production) at one pound per inch of trunk diameter each year for young trees and three pounds for mature trees. In fact, the trees will begin to bear nuts in 6–10 years and produce 70–150 pounds. 
• Soil Preference: Moreover the pecan tree can grow in acidic, alkaline, loamy, moist, rich, sandy, silty loam, well-drained, wet and clay soils.
• Wildlife Value: Many animals love pecans, for example, squirrels, deer, raccoons, foxes, wild turkeys, wood ducks, crows, blue jays and several other bird species.

Check out our guides page for information on how to take care of trees.