Carya illinoinensis

Pecan

Family: Juglandaceae · Type: tree · Not Native

Pecan is a naturalized tree found in the San Joaquin Valley and southern California coastal areas in riparian forests and watercourse margins at elevations below 600 meters. Flowering from April to May, this tree produces small, inconspicuous flowers characteristic of nut-bearing trees. Growing to 45 meters tall with bark that ranges from shallowly to deeply furrowed, it has a distinctive branching structure. Its compound leaves feature 9 to 13 lanceolate leaflets, each 11 to 16 centimeters long and sickle-shaped with pointed tips. The fruit is an edible nut approximately 3 to 4 centimeters long with four low wings along its sutures.

Habitat: Riparian forest, watercourse margins

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 600 m

Bioregions: SnJV, SCo

California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Butte, Los Angeles, Stanislaus, Yolo, Solano, Napa, Placer

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.