Leaf
JonRichfield, Wikimedia · CC-BY-SA 4.0
Pecan
Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K.Koch
Family: Juglandaceae
20 to 40 m tall at maturity
Planted in orchards, deep, cool, free-draining soils
Flowering: April – May
Full sun
Fairly hardy, to about -20°C, but needs a long, hot summer to produce ripe fruit
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The pecan can reach impressive sizes, sometimes over 40 metres in its North American native range — one of the largest cultivated fruit trees in the world.
🍃 Leaves
Deciduous, pinnate, long, with numerous toothed leaflets
🌸 Flowers
Hanging male catkins and inconspicuous female flowers, borne separately on the same tree
🍎 Fruits
Oval drupe with a smooth shell containing the pecan nut, an elongated, sweet kernel
🪵 Bark
Grey, cracking into scales with age
🗺️ Distribution
Native to the central United States; still only marginally grown in France, notably in the south-west
🐝 Value for pollinators
Mainly wind-pollinated, of little interest to pollinators
✂️ Horticultural uses
Large orchard fruit tree, grown for its sweet nut, requires a climate with long, hot summers to fruit well
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Edible fruit; no known toxicity, possible allergen for people sensitive to tree nuts
🌿 Other Juglandaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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