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Article: The tasty Pecan. (In Profile).
- Article from:
- American Forests
- Article date:
- September 22, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 American Forests. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Whether you pronounce it "pih KAHN" or prefer "PEE kan" the pecan tree (Carya illinoensis) is about as American as a tree can get. Archeological evidence shows native Americans in the area of Texas used pecans more than 8,000 years ago. The name comes from the Algonquin word "pacane" meaning "nut so hard as to require a stone to crack."
Pecans are native only in the United States, and crows may have contributed to their selection and distribution by carrying the thin-shelled nuts over several miles. George Washington had pecans at Mount Vernon and, not to he outdone, gardener and connoisseur Thomas Jefferson had several trees imported from Louisiana for his ...