Pecans bloom during spring, meaning Pecan Nation’s orchards are in full bloom during this time. The flowering is crucial to ensure the highest-quality pecans are harvested that fall.

Do Pecan Trees Bloom and Have Flowers?

Pecan trees bloom and have two types of flowers on the same tree:

• Pollen flower: The pollen flower is found on stalks and is known as a catkin. These flower stalks contain pollen that helps the fruiting flower produce pecans.
• Fruit flower: The pecan tree also has fruit flowers that cluster together and, when fertilized, form mature pecans in the fall.

When Does a Pecan Tree Bloom?

Pecan trees bloom in mid to late spring. Mature nuts are ready to harvest from October to December.

The pollen flowers on a pecan tree bloom, and when these die, the fruit flowers bloom. Although pecan trees can self-pollinate, they produce better fruit when cross-pollinated. That’s where the two classifications of pecan trees come into play:

• Protandrous tree: This pecan tree variety sheds pollen before the fruiting flower blooms on the same tree.
• Protogynous tree: With this pecan tree type, the fruiting flower is ready for pollination, yet the pollen is not ready to shed.

Every pecan tree is either protandrous or protogynous.

How Are Pecan Trees Pollinated?

Maybe you’ve seen a residential pecan tree yield a few nuts. This is because pecan trees can self-pollinate, but this is much less effective than when they cross-pollinate.

To ensure you get the best-quality pecans and we reap a bountiful harvest, Pecan Nation plants compatible protandrous and protogynous trees close to each other.

One tree variety’s pollen is ready for the other trees’ flowers, and vice versa. Pollinators like bees help cross-pollinate these flowers in the orchard. The result is pecan trees that bear much fruit, enabling you to purchase your favorite healthy nut from us all year round.

Other Interesting Pecan Tree Facts

Pecan trees are part of the fruit family, even though the “fruit” are classified as tree nuts. Pecan trees are robust and drought tolerant and can bear fruit for over 300 years. The trees that carry the most fruit are about 75 to 225 years old.

Most importantly, pecans are healthy! Pecans have the lowest net carbs, are the nuts with the highest antioxidants and possess many health benefits.

Buy Top-Quality Snacking Pecans

Pecan Nation exclusively grows, harvests and ships pecans. You can trust us to provide the highest-quality pecans, perfect for your snack stash and pantry. Shop our delicious pecans today!