Audubon® Native Pecan Treeling
Bower & Branch Trees and Plants
Audubon® Plants for Birds: Carya illinoinensis
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YOUR AND THE WILDLIFE'S FAVORITE PECAN PROVIDING LEGACY TREE
FEATURES:
May Benefit & Attract: chickadees, cardinals, wrens, nuthatches, jays, woodpeckers, and songbirds
- In the spring, greenish-yellow catkins appear and nestle among long foliage
- Spring and summer provides large fan-like leaves that give lovely shade for you and your garden
- In the fall, loads of sweet Pecans will be gifted for you
- Will reduce your cooling bill and boosting your home value
- This bird-friendly native trees provides food and shelter for local and migrating birds and other wildlife
- All Audubon® branded trees are grown 100% Neonic-free by Bower & Branch, making these plants safer for the birds and safer for the environment
- The National Audubon Society protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow
- Hand Selected, Fresh from the Grower
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Growth Facts
- Hardiness Zone: 5-9
- Mature Height: 40-60' tall
- Mature Width: 30-50' wide
- Exposure: Full Sun
- Spacing: 30-50' apart
Why plant Audubon® Native Pecan Treeling?
Who will love your Pecan Tree more—you or the birds? It's hard to say! Pecans are a gourmet treat for humans and for birds as well. Packed with protein, fat, and minerals, they are especially valuable to migrating birds, who need to take in lots of quality, high-energy food in preparation for their long journeys. Of course, winter-resident birds like chickadees, cardinals, wrens, nuthatches, jays, and woodpeckers also savor the sweet nuts. Pecans generally take about ten years to start producing crops, but in the meantime, your tree will still feed the birds! Songbirds dine on the many insects that feed on Pecan leaves.
The mighty Pecan is an American tree that has nourished both humans and wildlife here for thousands of years. It’s found primarily in the midsection of the country, where it follows the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. In these moist, fertile lands, it flourishes, growing more quickly than other Hickory Trees (Pecan is a type of Hickory). Thomas Jefferson was a fan of Pecans. He planted several at Monticello, and he convinced his friend, George Washington, to plant some at Mt. Vernon as well. Uncommon on the East Coast, Pecans were known as “Illinois Nuts” to Jefferson.
How to use Audubon® Native Pecan Treeling in the landscape?
Pecans have a thin shell, making them much easier to crack open than other hickories. Still, small birds may have a hard time breaking into them. You can smash a few nuts with a rock or mallet and put the pieces in your birdfeeder for easier access.
Planting Zones
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
How To Plant Audubon® Native Pecan Treeling
Just as Pecan appreciates low, fertile plains in the wild, it favors deep, rich, moist soil in the home landscape, too. It will certainly survive in drier sites, but it will grow more slowly there. Plant it in full sun and give it lots of room. Pecan Trees can get quite large and they live a long time—200 to 300 years! This is a hardy tree, tolerating winter temperatures to -20ºF, though it produces its largest crops in the southern states, where the growing season is long and warm.
How To Water
Water twice weekly for the first 3-5 weeks; then water weekly for the remainder of the year until winter. When you water, water very slowly and very thoroughly. The water needs to reach to the bottom of the root ball and that takes time. Watering needs may be altered due to extreme weather conditions.
How To Fertilize
Incorporate Elements Starter Plant Food granular form into the soil when planting. If planting in spring or summer, start fertilizing late fall using Elements Starter Plant Food granular form on an annual basis each fall. Continue this for the first three years to get your plant well established.
How To Prune
Prune in winter if necessary, although Pecans do not require much of a pruning need!