Pecan

Pecan (Carya illineonsis)

Description

One variety of a hickory tree (Hicoria pecan) native to the central and southern United States. Pecan trees have a reddish brown heartwood with dark brown stripes (Bucher 1996). It is used for interior millwork. The hulls from pecan trees are used to dye wool a dark brown or cotton a gray color using an alum mordant. Pecan hull dyes have fair colorfastness.

Synonyms and Related Terms

Carya aquatic; Carya cordiformis; Carya illinoensis; Carya myristicaeformis; Carya olivaeformis; Hicoria pecan; pecan; bois de pecan (Fr.); cária (Port.)

Physical and Chemical Properties

• Heartwood is light to medium brown; sapwood is pale yellowish brown
• Grain is straight with a medium texture and low natural luster
• Not resistant to decay or insects

Working Properties

• Difficult to work, with tearout being common during machining operations if cutting edges are not kept sharp; the wood tends to blunt cutting edges.
• Glues, stains, and finishes well.
• Responds well to steam bending.

Resources and Citations

• The Wood Database: Pecan
• G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p. 397
• Dictionary of Building Preservation, Ward Bucher, ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York City, 1996
• Wikipedia: Pecan Accessed May 2026