The pecan (Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory tree native to the river valleys of the southern United States and northern Mexico. It produces large, oblong nuts with a distinctively rich, buttery flavour that sets them apart from other tree nuts.
Pecans are most closely associated with American Southern cooking — pecan pie being the iconic example — but they’re used globally in confectionery, baking, salads, and as a snack. The nut has a high oil content, which gives it its richness but also means it can turn rancid relatively quickly if not stored properly.
The United States dominates global production, particularly Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas. Australia has a growing pecan industry concentrated in the subtropical regions of Queensland, New South Wales, and the Northern Territory, with commercial production expanding since the 1960s.
How it's produced
Pecan trees are large, long-lived deciduous trees that can take seven to ten years to begin producing meaningful crops, but remain productive for decades. They require warm summers, mild winters, and deep, well-drained soils with access to water. Most commercial orchards use grafted cultivar varieties rather than seedling trees.
Pecans are harvested in autumn after the green husks split open and the nuts fall to the ground. Commercial operations use mechanical shakers to dislodge nuts from the tree, then sweepers and harvesters to collect them from the orchard floor. After harvest, the nuts are dried, shelled mechanically, and sorted by size and quality. Some wild and semi-wild pecan trees along North American river systems are still harvested opportunistically.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Sources & methods →
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