Pecan Nut – Advanced – Carya illinoinensis

Plant family: Juglandaceae

Plant origin: North America.

Fruit description: The mature fruit in green husks splits into four sections, each containing a smooth brown thin shelled nut. Pecan Nuts have a rich buttery texture and sweet mild flavour. Eat them fresh, or store them in the shell for months.

Flowers: The Male flowers occur in long green tassels and the small Female flowers appear on the top of these clusters of tassels.

Growing conditions: The Pecan is a deciduous tree, frost resistant, and long lived. It grows to a height of up to 15 metres. It likes well-drained, deep, slightly acid loamy soil. It needs plenty of water in the growing season. The tree is dormant in Winter. Mulch the tree well.

Uses: Eat pecans raw, or use in making ice-cream, confectionery such as praline, desserts such as pecan pie. Pecans are delicious with cheese, in salads, or use in a stuffing (for meats, poultry, stuffed vegetables like zucchini). Use pecans in baking biscuits or cakes.

Medicinal uses: Pecans are rich in protein and unsaturated fats. They contain antioxidants and plant sterols. They may be useful in reducing “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Pollination requirements:

Harvest time Pecans ripen in Autumn. Harvest pecans by laying ground sheets around the base of the tree and collecting fallen nuts, or shake the branches to make the nuts fall.

Plant relatives Pecans are related to Walnuts and hickory.

Special features: Pecan wood can be used for furniture and also for smoking other foods the same as hickory wood. The wood is extremely durable, it is used for tool handles for spades, axes, rakes, brooms.

Grown by method: Grafted Pot size: 6 litre

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 15 metres high by 10 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 6 litre