5 Weird Facts About Pecans

Want to ace your next trivia night? Crack open these five cool facts about pecans:

1. A Texas Symbol

The humble pecan holds the honor of being the official Texas state tree and state dessert (in its pie form). Incidentally, it’s also the state nut — a title that could belong to many people!

2. Environmental Heroes

Under ideal conditions, a pecan tree can sequester — or remove from the environment — 180 pounds of carbon dioxide, which it stores in the trunk and branches. Assuming a car drives 15,000 miles annually, the pecan trees in West Texas and New Mexico alone can absorb 41,500 cars’ worth of carbon dioxide from the air every year. Thanks to pecan orchards, we can all breathe a little easier.

3. Aww, Shucks

Much like coconuts, pecan nuts are encased in a soft, fleshy green skin as they grow. Known as the shuck, this protective layer eventually dries up, turns dark, and splits open to reveal a shiny new pecan. The pecan then has to be shelled to access that crunchy and delicious meat inside. Get crackin’!

4. Heart Healthy

As if we needed another reason to love them, pecans are good for your heart. According to research from the Heart Foundation, eating just three to four small handfuls of nuts each week reduces the risk of heart disease by 20%, making pecans as guilt-free as they are delicious. Snacking on pecans also lowers LDL cholesterol levels. 

5. All-American Nuts

Pecan trees are native to North America. In fact, archaeologists have found fossilized pecan leaves and seeds as much as 8,100 years old along the Rio Grande. Although they’ve been grown in many other countries, they’ll always be at home here in the South. It’s just another reason to be proud of living in Texas!