Pecan is a long-term planting — a young tree typically takes about five years to bear its first real nuts, and then produces for years. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.
Pecan — the short answer
Pecan: grown in zones 5–9, full sun, pH 5–7.5, ~5 yr to first harvest. It also needs ~500 winter chill hours to fruit (Mississippi State University Extension P3067).
- USDA zones
- 5–9
- Hardy to zone 5 — NCSU Plant Toolbox.
- Soil pH
- 5–7.5
- FAO ECOCROP
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
- To First Harvest
- ~5 yr
- USDA-NRCS
- Frost-kill temp (growing season)
- 30.2°F
- FAO ECOCROP
- Winter chill needed
- ~500 hrs
- Mississippi State University Extension P3067
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
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What Pecan is
Pecan grows as a perennial and reaches around 120 feet at maturity. It blooms yellow in early spring.
How to grow Pecan
Pecan grows in USDA zones 5 through 9 and takes about five years to begin bearing. Pecan does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 3,500 growing degree days to mature and about 500 hours of winter chill to set fruit (Mississippi State University Extension P3067), which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-9
Rated hardy to zone 5 by NCSU Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NCSU Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).
Soil pH
5 - 7.5
FAO ECOCROP
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost Kill Temperature
30.2°F
Where cold starts killing growing tissue. Not a winter-survival floor — a dormant perennial takes far colder, which its hardiness zone answers.
FAO ECOCROP
Minimum Growing Temperature
41°F
Below this it stops growing rather than dies — a pace limit, not a survival limit.
FAO ECOCROP
To First Harvest
~5 years
Pecan; cultivar-typical low. ~5 yr from grafted; standard rootstock.
USDA-NRCS
GDD Required
3500+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
120 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
500+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Mississippi State University Extension P3067
Plant it right
Set pecan in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Pecan prefers pH 5 to 7.5 (FAO ECOCROP). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Pecan takes about five years to its first meaningful harvest (USDA-NRCS). Prune annually while it establishes, and the tree will then crop for years.
Where Pecan thrives
Pecan is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 5–9 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 5–9·Where Pecan growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Pecan stands, state by state
Pecan is rated for zones 5–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 5–9
25 states
3 of 25 shown
The line runs through
25 states
3 of 25 shown
Pecan’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
Outside zones 5–9
1 state
- North Dakota · zones 3b-4b
Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Pecan
Growing guides for pecan
Good to know
Pecan isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data — pair it with high-value bloomers nearby to feed bees.
Before you harvest pecan, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant pecan for food. Our free screen reads 8 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Your land is one point inside Pecan's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Pecan will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether pecan actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Pecan
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Pecan in my zone?
Pecan grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 (Rated hardy to zone 5 by NCSU Plant Toolbox, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: NCSU Plant Toolbox (read 2026-10-06).). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long until Pecan bears fruit?
Pecan typically takes about five years after planting to bear its first real crop, then produces for years (USDA-NRCS). Soil, climate, and rootstock all shift the timeline.
When should you plant Pecan?
Set pecan out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Pecan need?
Pecan needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Pecan need?
Pecan prefers soil pH 5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (FAO ECOCROP). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Pecan attract pollinators?
Pecan isn't classified as a notable pollinator plant in our data. Pairing it with high-value bloomers nearby keeps bees and butterflies fed.
Keep exploring Pecan
Pecan state by state
Every state pecan's zone reaches — 32 link straight to that state's pecan growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.