Carya illinoinensis

Carya illinoinensis

Common name:

Pecan

Pronunciation:

KA-ri-a il-in-oyn-EN-sis

Family:

Juglandaceae

Genus:

Type:

Broadleaf

Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:

Deciduous tree, often low branched, straight trunk, may grow to 70-100 ft (20-30 m) or more; the largest of the hickories. Leaves alternate, pinnately compound (odd), 9-17 leaflets, each short stalked, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 10-20 cm long, 2.5-7.5 cm wide, usually sickle-shaped (falcate), long pointed, base unequal and rounded or wedge-shaped (cuneate), margin serrate or double serrate, glandular and tomentose when young, becoming glabrous (without hairs); leaf petiole glabrous or pubescent. Male (staminate) flowers in slender catkins 7.5-12 cm long, light yellow-green; female (pistillate) flowers in spikes, flowers oblong, narrowed at the ends, slightly 4-angled and coated with a scruffy pubescence. Fruit pointed at the apex, rounded at the narrow base, 4-winged and angled, 2.5-6 cm long and 1-2.5 cm wide, dark brown or covered with yellow scales, in clusters of 3-11; the nut is ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5-5 cm long, nearly cylindrical or slightly 4-angled at the tip, bright reddish brown, kernel sweet.

Sun, best in deep, moist, well-drained soil. Difficult to transplant because of a very long tap root.

Hardy to USDA Zone 5 Native range extends from southeastern Iowa, southern Illinois to Indiana and south to Alabama, Texas and Mexico. Many cultivars have been developed for the commercial pecan industry which is located in the southern U.S., especially in Georgia (usually the top producer), New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Louisiana. The pecan is the State Tree of Texas.

Oregon State Univ. campus: two small trees on lower campus near 11th Street and Jefferson Ave.; also south of Dixon Lodge on Jefferson Ave., the second tree, with a very high crown, from the NE corner of the intersection.

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