Pecans

Pecan: America's Native Nut Tree

Lenny Wells, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension pecan specialist and the university’s leading voice in the pecan industry, covers the history of pecans and their popularity in the South in his first book, “Pecan: America’s Native Nut Tree.”

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Grower Resources

Additional UGA Pecan Research

Budgets (prepared by UGA's department of Agricultural & Applied Economics)

USDA Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins (center) joins Georgia agricultural leaders, producers and UGA CAES leadership at the college's Iron Horse Farm for a listening session on key industry challenges, including disaster relief, trade markets and the future of American farming. (Photo by Georgia Department of Agriculture)

CAES News

Listening Session 03/27/25

United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins visited the Iron Horse Farm at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences earlier this month for a listening session with Georgia’s agricultural leaders and the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

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Facts About Georgia Pecans

During the late 1800's ...

Landowners began to recognize the potential profit of pecans in the southeastern United States. By the late 1800's, several individuals near Savannah, Georgia had produced and marketed pecans on a small scale. By 1889, there were only 97 acres of pecans planted in Georgia.

Between 1910 and 1925 ...

Thousands of acres of pecan trees were planted in southwest Georgia. Most of these trees were initially planted as real estate investments rather than for nut production. Thousands of acres were sold in five and ten acre units, primarily in Dougherty and Mitchell Counties, which are still today the hub of Georgia's pecan producing counties. By 1920, Georgia was producing 2.5 million pounds of pecans.

By the 1950's ...

Georgia was ranked as the top state in the nation for pecan production.

Today ...

Georgia pecan orchards may range in size from just a few trees to several thousand acres. The state continues to be regarded as the top pecan producing state in the U.S., with over 170,000 acres planted.