Texas Pecans
Pecan trees, the largest of the hickories, grow wild along almost every river and stream in Texas. They are so plentiful and popular that in 1919 the Texas Legislature voted to make the pecan tree the official state tree of Texas.

Improved Texas varieties are large and meaty with thick or thin shells. Higher oil content in many of the Texas varieties adds flavor. Texas pecans are generally divided into two categories: native and orchard-grown.

There are between 600,000 to 1 million acres of native pecans growing along the numerous rivers, streams and creeks throughout Texas. Year after year, Texas is the nation's largest producer of native pecans. Of the total number of native trees in Texas, approximately 40,000 acres are managed consistently. Farmers markets and roadside stands are the best outlets for these selections.

Texas is the country's second-largest producer of orchard-grown pecans. Twenty percent of the state's pecan industry is found in El Paso. Other production areas for the pecan are in Central Texas, which includes Austin and Bastrop, San Saba, Comanche County and a portion of the Coastal Bend area around Seguin.

The pecan tree is classified as an alternate bearing fruit, producing a bumper crop every other year. Texas produced 70 million pounds of pecans in 2001, up from 30 million pounds in 2000. In 1999, Texas produced a near-record 90 million pounds of nuts valued at over $68 million. And, for the pecan industry, its not all fruit cake and pies. Pecan shells are used to manufacture filler for plastic and veneer wood. Pecan wood is used for furniture, agricultural implements, flooring, firewood and even baseball bats. All together the Texas pecan makes an important contribution to the Texas farming industry.