'Kiowa' is a cultivar of the native pecan tree in the walnut family (Juglandaceae). It was named after the native Kiowa tribe. 'Kiowa' grows 75 to 100 feet tall and spreads 40 to 75 feet wide. It does best in full sun to partial shade in rich, moist well-drained soils . It has high drought tolerance once established. The deep taproot makes it unsuitable to transplant, so choose a permeate planting site. Fertilize each spring and prune in late winter to remove weak limbs and shape for best fruit production. This tree produces large thin-shelled high-quality nuts yearly until it matures then produces alternate years. It is a type-2 pollinator, so it needs a type-1 for fertilization. Appropriate cultivars include 'Cape Fear', 'Creek', 'Desirable', 'Gafford' or 'Mandan'. 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 this tree in a large yard for shade or for edible fruits. Small mammals also love the fruits. Insect, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This tree is susceptible to wind damage.A phids, pecan weevils, stink bugs, twig girdlers, and fall webworms can cause some issues. Scab can infect both nuts and foliage, but 'Kiowa' is a scab-resistant cultivar. Pecans are known for their brittle branches prone to breakage, especially in wind, and late frosts can reduce nut production. 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 .
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 nicheCarya illinoinensisCarya illinoinensis 'Elliot'Carya illinoinensis 'Gloria Grande'
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Edible; Tree
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
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
> 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
1-3 inches
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
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
It produces a little darker desirable-shaped nuts with high kernel percentage. Sweet edible nuts with a husk that splits into four sections when they ripen in the fall. Husk begins green and dries to brown. The nut is oval with a pointed end, 1-3" long, tan to brown with darker streaking.
Bark color
Dark Brown; 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.