Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
1 rating

Thursday - November 14, 2013

From: Delano, TN
Region: Southeast
Topic: Edible Plants, Trees
Title: Can I make my large pecan trees produce larger nuts?
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

I have 2 older large pecan trees about 40' tall but the nuts are very small, only about 1 1/2". What can I do to get larger nuts?

ANSWER:

Carya illinoinensis (Pecan) is a tree native to the Mississippi Valley.  It prefers a deep soil and needs lots of water to produce good nuts.  Perhaps your trees are not situated in an ideal spot for producing large nuts.  However, I believe that your trees are native pecans, which normally produce nuts about the size you mentioned.  Over the years plant breeders have developed pecan varieties with much larger nuts , and these so-called papershell pecans are probably what you were hoping to have.  This description gives you more information about the differences between native and papershell pecan nuts.  In my own opinion and that of many others, the native pecans, though small and hard to crack, have a taste superior to many papershell varieties.

 

More Edible Plants Questions

Jersalem artichoke as a medicinal herb
February 05, 2011 - I am having trouble with high cholesterol and coming up on being borderline diabetic and I am overweight. I know that Jerusalum Artichoke helps lower blood sugar. Am into herbs and J.A. is hard to l...
view the full question and answer

Native American barberry with edible fruit in New Mexico
December 06, 2008 - HI I am looking for a native american burberry plant with edible fruit. I love Persian cuisine, and they use the dried fruit of the burberry plant in a rice dish that I would like to recreate. I liv...
view the full question and answer

Effects of Hedysarum mackenzii from Pflugerville TX
May 08, 2013 - What are the effects of Hedysarum mackenzii?
view the full question and answer

Fruit trees from seeds
May 07, 2008 - Will fruit trees (primarily peach) produce fruit if grown from a seed?
view the full question and answer

A Bounty of Edibles for New Braunfels Texas
October 25, 2013 - I was hoping you could suggest a few plants that would serve several purposes. I live in New Braunfels, TX and would like to incorporate as many drought tolerant plants which would support birds, but...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.