Garden Plant: Hardy Pecan
Hardy Pecan
Product Description: Hardy Pecan
Hardy Pecan Tree Gives Shade, Bountiful Harvest
- Large Deciduous Shade Tree
- Largest of the Hickories
- Attracts Wildlife
- Stately Native Tree
- Rich Flavored Edible Nuts
- Long Lived
- Beautiful Yellow Fall Color
- Historic Importance
Hardy Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a large native shade tree known for its adaptability to cold climates, its aesthetic beauty and the production of the popular pecan nut that is both delicious and nutritious.
This is the ideal shade tree for the larger yard with a huge added benefit of edible nuts. Known to lose it leaves late in the fall, the shade value of this tree continues late into the season.
This tree is a native of the United States primarily found in the Mississippi River Valley regions and its tributaries. It is ideally suited to larger landscapes and commercial plantings.
No pollinator is required, but a second tree will increase pollination and improve your harvest of pecans to enjoy. For the best nut production, You’ll want to plant two of them, and consider adding another variety.
Seen from a distance, Hardy Pecan is dense and very stately in the landscape. Up close, the lovely, pinnate compound leaves are comprised of medium-green leaflets. This adds a delicate texture to the large, rounded canopy. The leaves eventually turning a harvest gold color for fall.
Ornamental features include the attractive bark, which is a slate-grey color and has a lightly fissured texture. Greenish-yellow male flowers are pendulous catkins that appear in the early spring.
Hardy Pecan is a long-lived tree with a life span well over 75 years. It’s a wonderful choice for residential plantings as well as parks, golf courses, business complexes or anywhere a large shade tree is desired. Give it consistent moisture and rich, well-drained soils.
The tree produces the classic, thin-shelled pecan that is popular throughout the world. Though an abundant producer, please note that it can take 7 to 15 years to produce nuts. The nuts have a thin husk and split into four sections when ripe.
Order today and get started with this beautiful, historical, interesting and oh-so-useful native Hardy Pecan.
How to Use Hardy Pecan in the Landscape
American Indians are known to have cultivated pecans as far back as the 1500\’s. The Spanish took the Pecan to Europe in the 16th century. Thomas Jefferson recognized the value of the “Illinois Nut” and planted many at his home at Monticello in the 1700\’s. He even shared them with friends like George Washington.
Despite all of the early interest, it would not be until the late 1800s that commercial production of pecans began in the United States. They are rich in antioxidants and are reported to have many possible health benefits.
Pecans are a tasty snack and versatile for cooking in a variety of dishes. Even the wood of the tree is valued for making furniture or as fuel that adds smoked flavor to meats. Don’t forget the All-American Pecan Pie that adorns Holiday tables across the country.
Plant it along creek beds as a welcome addition to a food forest. This native tree has admirers in the natural world and provides habitat to many species.
Pro Plant Tips for Care
Give it a spot in full sun for best results. When you do your tree planting, plan to give a moderate amount of regular water during the first season. Provide young trees a thick layer of mulch over the root system.
The Pecan likes humid conditions with an extended warm late season to ripen the nuts. Although it will grow into a beautiful tree, its production may be limited in coastal areas like western Washington state, Western Oregon or the upper reaches of Zone 5.
The Hardy Pecan is truly a multipurpose tree. It will be an attractive shade tree for your home, the city park or planted in an orchard with fruit trees to enjoy the eventual added benefit of a delicious fall harvest.
Hardy Pecan is a tree that never stops giving. It will become a wonderful addition to your landscape You’ll enjoy for years to come.