Gloria Grande Pecan

Carya illinoinensis (KAIR-ee-ah il-li-noy-NEN-sis)

Family: Juglandaceae Unknown Canopy (>40 ft)

Canopy (>40 ft)Unknown

'Gloria Grande' is a cultivar of the native pecan tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae). 'Gloria Grande' was discovered in Elloree, S.C. by W.W. Watson, owner of Watson's Pecanwood Nurseries, and introduced by Watson in 1923. The cultivar is named after Gloria Swanson, Mr. Watson's favorite actress. It was developed to thrive in the southeastern United States. This variety grows 75 to 100 feet tall and 40 to 75 feet wide with a uniform, symmetrical, broadly oval crown. It tolerates clay, sand, and loam soils—alkaline or acidic—as long as they are well-drained and does best in full sun but will tolerate some shade. It has high drought tolerance once established. This tree has a deep tap root and will not tolerate transplanting. Be sure to choose your site wisely. Fertilize the tree each spring and prune in late winter to remove weak limbs and shape the tree for better nut production. 'Gloria Grande' produces thin-shelled fruits in 7 to 9 years and usually bears yearly, unlike many pecan trees. Nuts mature in October. The tree is a type-2 pollinator and requires a type-1 tree for pollination. Suitable cultivars are 'Cherryl', ' 'Desirable', 'Gafford' and 'Mandan'. For optimum pollination, NC State Extension recommends planting at least three cultivars with at least one of each pollination type for best cross-pollination. Learn more about selection, planting, and care of pecan trees Use pecan trees as shade trees and for edible fruits. Small mammals also eat the fruits. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems : Aphids, pecan weevils, stink bugs, twig girdlers, and fall webworms can cause some issues. This is the most scab-resistant of any other pecan variety. VIDEO Created by Laura Barth for "Vegetables, Herbs, Fruits, and Nuts," a plant identification course developed in partnership with Longwood Gardens. More information on Carya illinoinensis .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 66 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 1 - Canopy (>40 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)

See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Carya illinoinensis Carya illinoinensis 'Elliot' Carya illinoinensis 'Kiowa'

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions

Plant type: Edible; Tree
Life cycle: Woody
USDA zones: 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture: Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH: Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage: Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space: more than 60 feet
NC region: Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size: Height: 70 ft. 0 in. - 100 ft. 0 in. | Width: 40 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Canopy layer: 1 - Canopy (>40 ft)

Form & Appearance

Habit / form: Erect; Oval; Rounded
Texture: Medium
Foliage: Deciduous
Leaf color: Green
Leaf type: Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement: Alternate
Leaf shape: Lanceolate
Leaf margin: Serrate
Leaf feel: Smooth
Leaf size: 3-6 inches long
Hairs present: No
Leaf detail: Alternate, medium green, 4-8" pinnately compound leaf with 9-17 leaflets; yellow fall color. Leaflets are lanceolate with serrate margins. Midrib of leaf and leaflets may be slightly curved. Fewer and longer leaflets than black walnut.
Fall color: Gold/Yellow
Flower color: Cream/Tan; Green
Flower form: Catkin; Insignificant
Flower size: < 1 inch
Flower detail: Insignificant, monoecious, appear April-May. Male flowers are 4"-long yellow-green catkins, female flowers are shorter spikes.
Bloom time: Spring
Fruit color: Brown/Copper; Cream/Tan; Green
Fruit type: Nut
Fruit value: Edible; Showy
Fruit size: 1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail: It produces large-sized nuts in clusters of 4 with excellent kernel quality. The seeds are also edible.
Bark color: Dark Gray
Bark detail: Grey-brown bark and rectangular furrows.
Stem color: Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail: Grey-brown stems, raised lenticels, and pubescent buds in a U-shaped, usually shallow, leaf scar.

Wildlife & Ecology

Native status: Unknown
Wildlife value: Fruits feed small mammals and some birds. Larval host plant to the Luna moth. This plant supports Hickory Horndevil (Citheronia regalis) larvae which have one brood and appear from May to mid-September. Adult Hickory Horndevil moths do not feed.
Attracts: Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value: Buffer; Edible fruit; Screening; Shade; Wildlife Food Source; Wind Break

Food & Medicine

Edible parts: Fruit; Nuts
Harvest time: Fall; Summer
Fruit type: Nut

Edibility

Nuts are edible.

Landscape Use

Landscape location: Meadow; Naturalized Area; Recreational Play Area
Landscape theme: Children's Garden; Edible Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature: Accent; Shade Tree; Specimen
Garden tags: #deciduous #wind damage prone #edible nuts #wind pollinated #large tree #edible fruits #buffer #larval host plant #nuts #shade tree #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly

Problems & Resistance

Insect problems: Black Pecan Aphid; Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (North Carolina); Growing Pecans in North Carolina; Twig Girdler
Disease problems: Phylloxera on Hickory and Pecan
Problems: Messy
Resistant to: Drought

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.

📍 Add a planting 📝 Add to wish list