Scientific: Carya illinoensis
Common: pecan
Family: Juglandaceae
Origin: Found in alluvial soils of the lower Mississippi River and its tributaries, as well as other river bottoms throughout its range. The pecan extends southward into Central Mexico, and ranges northward through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. It extends as far north as southern Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, to the Texas panhandle in the west, and western Kentucky and Tennessee to the east.

Hardiness zones
Sunset 2-3, 6-10, 12-14, 18-20
USDA 5

Landscape Use: Mesic shade tree grows best in a lush green landscape, large shade tree, nut crop.

Form & Character: Deciduous tree, upright and umbrella top, heavy, large and assuming.

Growth Habit: Moderate to 50-70' with near equal spread.

Foliage/texture: Alternate, odd-pinnately compound, leaflets 11-17 and 4-7" long with an inequalateral base, shaggy and shredding bark; medium coarse texture

Flowers & fruits: Male and females flowers are borne on the same tree, but often not at the same time thus requiring cross pollination for successful yields. Flowers ornamentally inconspicuous. The tasty pecan fruit a two segmented nut.

Seasonal color: In Phoenix, pecan trees generally display yellowed foliage during late fall.

Temperature: Pecan trees are very tolerant of the desert summer heat, except when grown in xeric sites.

Light: Full sun

Soil: Well drained, avoid caliche. Pecan trees in Arizona require annual supplemental zinc fertilizer, either chelated zinc or zinc sulfate is best.

Watering: Pecan trees NEED regular deep waterings from April to late September.

Pruning: Depending on the site, elevate the canopy base by raising the crown, but do not overly raise or thin the crown as removal of too much canopy will lead to trunk and branch sunscald injury.

Propagation: Cutting and grafting; for grafting, scion-rootstock graft incompatibilities are a problem and can result in some bizarre looking lower trunks.

Disease and pests: Presently there are restrictions against interstate transfer of pecan trees is in place because of the many know diseases and pests of pecan.

Additional comments: Pecans have many named cultivated varieties. It is a long standing nut crop in the desert Southwest. Many residential developments occur in formal pecan orchards when preservation of an orchard remnant is desirable. The pecan is the most important commercial nut crop in the eastern United States. Pecan wood is used for cooking and heating and has a wonderful fragrance. Some great eating here too!