Pecan trees surrounded my grandparents’ tin roofed house near Clayton, Alabama. The trees provided shade to help cool the house, and the shade discouraged grass from growing in the bare dirt yard, raked neatly. The large shady space was perfect for kids to play. Squirrels could always be seen playing in the trees, and in autumn the sound of pecans falling on the roof could be heard. Pecans were gathered in fall to shell and eat raw, or to be prepared in pecan pie, candy, cookies and other delicious ways- or to be sold to bring in extra money. When hogs were butchered, they were hung from a limb of the tree with a black wash pot cooking pork skins close by. Southern country life could be difficult, but thanks to resources like the pecan tree it could be very good.
Pecans are not native to Georgia, but wild pecans were widely consumed and traded by Native Americans and settlers along the Mississippi River Valley and in Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas. To Algonquian Native Americans, ‘pecans’ referred to any nut requiring a stone to crack such as pecans, walnuts, and hickory nuts. This name was adopted by settlers to refer only to pecans, but pronunciation has always varied even within regions. By the 1880’s, as the number of settlers increased and the demand for pecans grew, pecans began to be grown commercially. In Georgia in the early 1900’s, in a land scheme, northern investors began selling thousands of acres with pecan trees in 5 acre plots to settlers around Albany, Georgia. They were told that with no work required the trees would produce enough 
pecans in three to five years to pay for their children’s educations. Settlers found the claims false because trees take much longer to produce, but those trees helped Georgia become the country’s leading producer of pecans by the 1950’s. Today, Georgia supplies about 1/3 of total pecan production in the United States, followed closely by Texas and New Mexico. The United States produces over 80% of the world’s pecans.
The pecan tree, Carya illinoinensis, is a stately tree. A 10-year-old sapling will stand about 16 feet tall, but mature trees may grow to 130 feet or more. Trees may have a spread of 75 feet or more making a broad, rounded top. To prevent crowding, trees should be spaced 60 to 80 feet apart. The trunk may grow to 6 feet in diameter. The bark is gray to gray-brown and smooth when young, but becomes moderately thick, furrowed 
and full of scaly ridges as it ages. The leaflets are pinnately compound on a stem called a rachis which may be 12 to 20 inches long. Stems are attached alternately to the branch, and hold 11 to 17 leaflets which are attached to short petioles. Leaflets are generally 4 to 7 inches long and 1 to 3 inches broad. They are pointed at the end and may be slightly sickle-shaped. Edges are jagged or toothed.
Both sexes of flowers appear on the pecan tree, but they may not appear at exactly the same time. It is usually important to pair one variety with another that pollinates well with it. Drooping male catkins are 5 to 6 inches long. Female flower clusters appear in short terminal spikes just before the leaves emerge. The fruit, which is really a drupe but is known as a nut, forms in clusters of 3 to 11. This fruit has an oblong brown 
outer shell splotched with black which is covered by a thin elliptical husk. In autumn the husk dries and splits into 4 sections, releasing the fruit. The husk may fall with the fruit, or remain on the tree after the fruit has fallen. The fruit may be 1 to 2½ inches long. Varieties differ as to size, taste and thickness of shell. Thin-shelled (called paper-shell) pecans that can be more easily cracked are usually preferred.
Pecan trees are valuable multi-purpose trees. They may live 300 years producing up to 1000 pounds of nuts in a year, with heavy crops produced in alternate years. The tree has great shade and attractive form. It has beautiful fine-grained wood that is often used for furniture, flooring and veneer. This tree continues to contribute to Southern life more than most, and will continue to be one of my favorites.
Pecan crackers make shelling pecans faster and easier. The one featured here appears just like the one I use. This and similar items are available for purchase here through my participation in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Any purchase through this link helps maintain this website and is appreciated.
