$59.95Original price was: $59.95.$47.96Current price is: $47.96.
Pawnee Pecan (Carya illinoinensis ‘Pawnee’) is a large nut and shade tree offering the earliest harvest timing among commercial pecans, with large, thin-shelled nuts and a rich, buttery, sweet kernel with excellent oil content. It grows in USDA hardiness zones 6-9 and AHS heat zones 7-11, and needs 300-650 chill hours, and requires cross-pollination with a compatible variety such as Desirable Pecan or Elliot Pecan for reliable nut set.
3-4′ Bare Root Grafted Tree Rootstock: Pecan Seedling
Pecan Seedling (Standard): Grafted onto a pecan seedling, so the tree reaches its full natural size on a deep taproot. No dwarfing effect.
• Support: Freestanding; the deep taproot gives excellent anchorage.
Pawnee was released in 1984 by the USDA Agricultural Research Service from the Crop Germplasm Research Unit in College Station, Texas, developed by pecan breeder Tommy E. Thompson. Its parentage crosses Mohawk x Major — two cultivars valued for nut size and precocious bearing — and the result solved a practical problem: producing a fully kernel-filled nut three to four weeks ahead of mid-season cultivars like Desirable, making it viable at the northern limits of pecan territory where early autumn frosts truncate the season. The variety is named for the Pawnee people of the central plains, consistent with the USDA pecan program’s longstanding practice of naming releases after Native American nations. Pawnee’s early-September harvest window combined with good kernel percentage made it one of the most widely planted improved pecans in the southern and central United States within a decade of release, adopted by growers seeking early-market premium pricing and by those in short-season climates. That earliness derives from precocious kernel fill rather than forced hull dehiscence, preserving eating quality. Pawnee has been a top seller in commercial pecan nurseries since its 1984 introduction.
Pawnee thrives in deep, well-drained soils with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0, and it performs best where summers are long and reliably warm. It handles the broad AHS Heat Zone 7 through 11 range, making it adaptable from the mid-Atlantic into the Deep South and across the central plains. Plan for a mature canopy of 60 to 100 feet; give each tree at least 40 to 60 feet of spacing to preserve airflow — a practice that pays dividends against scab pressure over the life of the planting. First bearing typically arrives six to ten years from planting, and Pawnee displays alternate bearing, so expect strong "on" years to alternate with lighter "off" years. Growth rate is moderate. Salt tolerance is low, and Pawnee is not wind-hardy; shelter from persistent prevailing winds improves nut set and reduces mechanical limb damage. Foliar zinc sulfate applied at budbreak and again in early summer is essential — pecan roots are inefficient zinc scavengers in most orchard soils, and zinc deficiency (rosette) silently limits nut fill long before visible symptoms appear.
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9 AHS Heat Zone: 7-11 Chill Hours: 300-650 Sun Requirements: Full Sun Soil pH: 5.5-7.0 Soil Type: Deep, fertile sandy loam to clay loam; native to bottomland alluvial soils Soil Drainage: Well-drained to moderately well-drained Water Requirements: Medium Drought Tolerance: Moderate Plant Spacing: 60-80 ft apart Container Suitability: No
Pawnee develops into a large, broad-spreading deciduous tree reaching 60 to 100 feet at maturity, with a crown that can approach the same dimension in spread once fully established. Foliage is pinnately compound, the leaflets dark green through the growing season and turning golden yellow in autumn before drop. Growth rate is moderate — faster than many nut trees but measured compared to poplars or willows. The tree is well suited to food forest canopy placement, providing dense summer shade, wildlife habitat, and windbreak value in mature plantings. Deer browse young trees aggressively; protection is necessary in the establishment years. Wildlife engagement is extensive: squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, woodpeckers, songbirds, crows, raccoons, and opossums all utilize Pawnee as a significant mast source. Pawnee is native to central and eastern North America in the broader pecan range, offering genuine ecological value beyond the nut crop itself. Care level is high, reflecting the ongoing zinc, airflow, and pest-monitoring demands of productive pecan culture.
Mature Height: 75-100 ft tall Mature Spread: 40-75 ft wide Growth Habit: Large upright deciduous tree with broad rounded crown Growth Rate: Moderate Foliage Type: Deciduous Food Forest Layer: Canopy Permaculture Role: Canopy/overstory tree; nut crop; wildlife habitat; mast provider; shade Leaf Color: Medium green Fall Foliage Color: Yellow to gold Thorns?: No Attracts Wildlife: Squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, crows, woodpeckers, songbirds, opossums, raccoons Life Span: 100+ years
Pawnee is a Type I (protandrous) pecan, meaning it sheds pollen before its own female flowers are receptive. In the current pecan pollination chart, its pollen-shed window is Apr 19 - Apr 25 and its receptive window is Apr 21 - Apr 26. Reliable crops need a compatible cross-pollinizer whose pollen shed overlaps that receptive window. Best matches from the current article matrix: Desirable (Type I), Kanza (Type II), Elliot (Type II). Pecans are wind-pollinated; plant compatible varieties in the same yard, food forest, or orchard block with open airflow rather than relying on an unknown tree several properties away.
Bloom Season: Early Bloom Window: Pollen shed: Apr 19 - Apr 25; receptive: Apr 21 - Apr 26 Pollination Requirements: Cross-pollination required; Type I (protandrous): sheds pollen first, then becomes receptive later; needs a compatible cross-pollinizer whose pollen shed overlaps its receptive window Pollination Mechanism: Wind-pollinated Flower Color: Cream, tan, and green (catkins) Ploidy: Diploid (2n=32)
Pawnee nuts run approximately 56 per pound, placing them in the medium-to-large size category among improved cultivars. Kernel percentage is high — a consistent trait noted across trials — and the kernel itself is plump, golden, and notably flavorful with a rich, buttery character that distinguishes well-grown Pawnee from blander commercial pecans. Hull dehiscence is clean at maturity. The harvest window falls in mid-September in most of its range, earlier than virtually any other named cultivar of comparable nut quality. That timing is the cultivar's defining commercial attribute: early-market fresh pecans command premium pricing, and growers at the northern edge of pecan territory can harvest a fully matured nut that late-ripening varieties simply can't deliver. Culinary applications span the full pecan repertoire — pies, pralines, candied nuts, raw snacking, baking — with the kernel quality holding up well through both fresh and processed uses.
Ripening Season: Very Early Harvest Window: Mid Sep Fruit Size: Large; 49-56 nuts per pound Fruit Weight: 56 nuts per pound Flavor: Rich, buttery, sweet; excellent oil content Fruit Color: Brown shell; golden/light-colored kernel Fruit Texture: Firm, crisp kernel Bearing Habit: Alternate bearing Years to Bear: 6-10 years Storage Life: In-shell: 4 months room temp, 18 months refrigerated, 24-60 months frozen; shelled: 3 months room temp, 12 months refrigerated Culinary Uses: Fresh eating, pecan pie, baking, confections, candied pecans, trail mix, salads, meat glazes, pralines, ice cream toppings, long-term freezer storage
Pawnee's primary disease liability is susceptibility to Pecan Scab (Venturia effusa), the most economically damaging pecan disease in humid growing regions. In high-pressure scab years, unmanaged Pawnee can suffer significant crop loss. The management response is cultural rather than chemical: maximize canopy airflow through disciplined spacing and pruning, avoid overhead irrigation, and site the planting to capture prevailing breezes. These practices meaningfully reduce lesion development without synthetic inputs. Resistance data for Downy Spot (Mycosphaerella caryigena), Vein Spot (Gnomonia nerviseda), Zonate Leaf Spot (Cristulariella moricola), and Powdery Mildew (Microsphaera penicillata) is not well-characterized for Pawnee in the peer-reviewed literature. On the pest side, Pecan Weevil (Curculio caryae) pressure is mitigated by Surround WP kaolin clay barriers applied before adult emergence. Nut Casebearer (Acrobasis nuxvorella) and Hickory Shuckworm (Cydia caryana) respond to pheromone monitoring paired with Bt or spinosad at threshold. Black Pecan Aphid (Melanocallis caryaefoliae) infestations are suppressed through reflective mulch and lacewing releases before populations build.
Foliar zinc every year: Apply zinc sulfate at budbreak and repeat in early summer — skipping even one application noticeably reduces kernel fill.
Space for scab management: Plant trees no closer than 40 feet apart and prune to keep the interior open; spacing is the most effective cultural control for Pawnee's scab susceptibility.
Add a Type II pollinator: Pair with Kanza as a Type II pollinator — the timing overlap is reliable and Kanza's scab resistance complements Pawnee's weakness.
Protect young trees: Use physical barriers against deer browse for the first three to five years.
We ship in late winter or early spring based on your USDA hardiness zone.
We strive to ship orders on the scheduled dates listed in the table below. However, please note that the actual shipping date may be subject to change due to factors like weather conditions and order volume.
The specific date for shipping your order will be determined according to your zipcode at the time of checkout.
Our plants are shipped bare root, packed in moist sawdust, and securely wrapped in plastic to prevent the roots from drying out. We use USPS Ground Advantage for shipping, ensuring that your plants typically arrive within 2-5 days after packaging.
In case you're unable to plant the trees immediately upon arrival, we recommend soaking them in water for a few hours and temporarily heeling them in. Ideally, they should be planted within three days of receipt for optimal health.
Our 365-Day Plant Guarantee: We ensure that our plants are delivered to you alive and healthy. If your plant does not survive its first year, you're eligible for store credit under these conditions:
You maintain the roots' moisture and plant within three days of delivery, following the instructions in our Planting Guide.
If you're concerned about your plant's health, please consult our guide, How to Tell if Your Tree is Dead or Dormant. Remember, our plants are shipped in a dormant state and may leaf out at different times based on their species. To check for plant vital
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