Pecan (Carya illinoinensis)

 General Information 

The Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is one of the most culturally and ecologically important trees that can be found at FLMR. Their native range lies within the lower Mississippi River Valley (USDA) and are almost exclusively found in the floodplain forest on FLMR.

Pecans, the largest of the hickory genius (Carya), get their name for the eatable fruit the tree produces. They can reach heights of 140 feet and live over 250 years old (8). At FLMR a large majority of pecans are large mature trees with FLMR being home to the state champion Pecan Tree. Key characters to look for in identifying the pecan are its namesake fruit which are elliptical in shape and green in color until they ripen and become light to deep brown. The fruits can typically be seen produced from September through October (8). Leaves of the pecan are compound and alternate measuring 9-20 inches in length with 7-13 leaflets that are lanceolate and slightly curved and measure 4-8 inches long (3,6). Bark of the pecan is generally dark gray with broad flat ridges that are flakey in mature trees with shallow fissures (3,6) Identification of the pecan tree can prove to be somewhat challenging with Honey Locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and other Hickories species (Carya spp.) possessing similarly arranged leaves and Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) possessing similar leaves and bark.

A suggested method of identification is to first locate fallen fruits that are typically found in high abundance with proximity to fruit producing trees, locate nearby mature trees, and look for leaf arrangement and bark matching the above description.

Natural History

As is the case with many fruit producing trees, Pecans play a role in feeding the forest. The fruits they produce are eaten by many species in the forest including deer, squirrels, raccoons, small mammals, and birds (8). Pecans are considered mast producing trees and produce seeds in a cycle of 1-3 years (8).

Pecans also provide habitat for many species including a variety of bird species and small mammals (10). 

As a large number of the pecans in Leavenworth’s forests are large mature trees, there is a number that are in the decline or dying stage. In this stage of the tree's life, it may stay standing dead losing branches and bark for some time. The heartwood tends to decay away providing cavities for various species to live in. Eventually, the trees fall to the forest floor where they begin to decay even further in the decomposition stage thanks to the many fungi that call the forest home including the commonly seen jelly ear fungi. At this stage, the trees are sometimes referred to as course woody debris. In this final stage, the tree becomes part of the soil composition providing nutrients and suitable growing conditions for other tree species in the forest.

Historical and Indigenous Uses

Pecans at FLMR on the shores of the Missouri River were famously written about in the journals of Lewis and Clark on their westward mapping expedition of the US (2). Colonial uses for the pecan include the use of wood in woodworking and smoking of meats. The fruits have also been cultivated for commercial use (8,10).

Indigenous uses for the pecan are plentiful. The fruits were eaten as whole nuts or pounded and mixed with grains to make a soup-like dish (1). The leaves were pounded into a paste that was applied to areas affected by ringworm (1). A liquid was made from the bark of the pecan that was used to treat tuberculosis (5). It is speculated that the pecans at FLMR were brought from southern populations and cultivated by local tribes.

Citations

1)     Carlson, G. G., & Jones, V. H. (Volney H. (1939). Some notes on uses of plants by the Comanche Indians. Papers of the Michigan Academy of Science Arts and Letters, Vol. 25, 517–542. https://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=no06-005

2)     Clark, W. (n.d.). July 1, 1804. Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/item/lc.jrn.1804-07-01

3)     Haddock, M. J., & Freeman, C. C. (2019). Trees, shrubs, and Woody Vines in Kansas. University Press of Kansas

4)     Hogan, S. (2017, November 2). How Fort Leavenworth became home to Kansas’ oldest pecan tree | KCUR - Kansas City News and NPR. NPR in Kansas City. https://www.kcur.org/community/2017-11-02/how-fort-leavenworth-became-home-to-kansas-oldest-pecan-tree 

5)     Jones, V. H. (1941). The Economic Botany of the Kiowa Indians as it Relates to the History of the Tribe. Paul A. Vestal and Richard Evans Schultes, with a foreword by Clyde Kluckhohn. (Harvard University, Botanical Museum, xiii + 110 pp., 4 plates, 1 map. Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1939.). American Antiquity, 6(3), 289–290. doi:10.2307/275550

6)     Kurz, D. R., Nelson, P., Ritter, T., Chasteen, B., & Porter, M. (2009). Trees of Missouri: Field guide. Missouri Dept. of Conservation.

7)     Mitchell, S. (2020, September 1). Plants in the classroom: The story of oklahoma pecans - oklahoma State University. Plants in the Classroom: The Story of Oklahoma Pecans | Oklahoma State University. https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/plants-in-the-classroom-the-story-of-oklahoma-pecans.html 

8)     Peterson, J. K. (n.d.). Pecan. Carya illinoensis (Wangenh). https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/carya/illinoesis.htm 

9)     Texas A&M Forest Service. (n.d.). How trees grow. Texas A&M Forest Service - Trees of Texas - How Trees Grow. http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/howTreesGrow/#:~:text=As%20with%20all%20living%20things,(snag%2Frotting%20log) 

10)  USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center. (2003) Plant Guide, Pecan. PLANTS Database. https://plants.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/plantguide/pdf/pg_cail2.pdf