Athenic Systems | Tree Guide Family Details
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Vascular Plants
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Silvics of North America:
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Conifers
Our State Tree
Pecan
(Juglandaceae Carya illinoinensis ) Adopted in 1919. The pecan is
a large tree native to North America. It bears sweet edible nuts,
deep brown in color, that range from 1 to 2 inches in length.
The mature pecan tree is usually 70 to 100 feet tall, as shown
above, but can grow as tall as 150 feet and higher. The native
pecan trees shown are estimated to be over 150 years old. Their
trunks are more than three feet in diameter.
Texas is the largest producer of native pecans, and is second
only to Georgia in the production of hybrid (orchard grown)
varieties. The pecan became the Texas state tree by act of the
Texas Legislature in 1919. Governor James Hogg favored the tree so
much that he requested that one be planted at his gravesite.
Chapter 97 (Senate Bill No. 317), 36th Legislature, Regular
Session (1919) p. 234 Pecan (Carya illinoensis) is one of the
better-known pecan hickories. It is also called sweet pecan and in
its range where Spanish is spoken, nogal morado or nuez
encarcelada. The early settlers who came to America found pecans
growing over wide areas. These native pecans were and continue to
be highly valued as sources of new varieties and as stock for
selected clones. Besides the commercial edible nut that it
produces, the pecan provides food for wildlife. Pecans are an
excellent multipurpose tree for the home landscape by providing a
source of nuts, furniture-grade wood and esthetic value.
Leaf: Alternate, pinnately compound with 9 to 15 finely
serrate and often curved leaflets, 12 to 18 inches long.
Flower: Male flowers in hanging, yellow-green catkins,
often in pairs of three (4 to 5 inches long). Females are small
and yellowish green, 4-angled.
Fruit: Large, oblong, brown, splotched with black, thin
shelled nuts, 1 ½ to 2 inches long, husks are thin, usually occur
in clusters on trees. Mature in September and October.
Twig: Moderately stout, light brown, fuzzy particularly,
when young; leaf scars large and three lobed; buds are yellowish
brown to brown, hairy, terminal buds ¼ to ½ inch long.
Bark: Smooth when young, becoming narrowly fissured into
thin broken strips, often scaly.
Form: A large tree (can reach heights well over 100
feet) with spreading crown when in the open.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom Plantae -- Plants Subkingdom Tracheobionta -- Vascular
plants Superdivision Spermatophyta -- Seed plants Division
Magnoliophyta -- Flowering plants Class Magnoliopsida --
Dicotyledons Subclass Hamamelidae – Order Juglandales – Family
Juglandaceae – Walnut family Genus Carya Nutt. – hickory Species
Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch – pecan
Source: Dendrology at Virginia Tech U.S. Department of
Agriculture
