How pecans went from ignored trees to a holiday staple – the 8,000-year history of America’s only native major nut

By: Shelley Mitchell, Oklahoma State University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: November 18, 2025

Words: 1,176

Last Updated: 6 days, 15 hours ago

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By Shelley Mitchell, Oklahoma State University

Pecans, America’s only native major nut, have a storied history in the United States. Today, American trees produce hundreds of million of pounds of pecans – 80% of the world’s pecan crop. Most of that crop stays here. Pecans are used to produce pecan milk, butter and oil, but many of the nuts end up in pecan pies.

Throughout history, pecans have been overlooked, poached, cultivated and …

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