The pecan trees shown in the aerial view below include a relatively whide variety of pecans. They are also planted on 40-ft centers that is much closer than the typical 60 feet. There was a trend about the time the original landowner planted them to use closer spacing. Our theory is that this small orchard was his experiment.
Most of the trees (especially those that had not been trimmed heavily) had some pecans. Using them, the bark, the tree shape, and other characteristics we began the quest to ID the trees as clearly there are a number of different cultivars.
The assignment of cultivar names to our pecan trees was based on comparisons of our nuts and kernels with the photos and descriptions of pecans at the following sites. Note that trees 26 and 37 have been removed.
- Nut Qualities of Selected Pecans Grown in South Alabama. Report of a study at Auburn’s Gulf Coast Substation in Fairhope. Published November 1975 and found here.
- Pecan cultivars – Alphabetic Search by Cultivar Name by LJ Grauke, Research Horticulturist & Curator, USDA-ARS Pecan Genetics found here.
- ACES’ paper Pecan Cultivars of Alabama found here.
- Pecan Cultivar Recommendations for the Southeast – 2014-15 Update by Bill Goff
