• The many uses of pecanpecan pie close up image by Allen Penton from Fotolia.com
  
  The pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) is a native tree of North America. Pecan trees are large and mature at 70 to 100 feet. Some even grow as tall as 150 feet or more. The trees bear sweet edible, 1- to 2-inch long, deep brown nuts. Though there are a large variety of pecan trees only a few are recommended for use as a yard-tree. The main reason is the inability of home orchardists to apply adequate pesticides to the trees for optimal disease and pest control. Pecan trees are not self fertile and two varieties need to be planted for adequate pollination.
  
  

Elliot

• Elliot pecans are high quality, small nuts of teardrop shape. The trees bear fruit in alternate years but the nut quality remains consistently good. Elliot has a high resistance to scab and it is hence recommended for home orchards. The trees are susceptible to the later spring freezes. Among the pests, yellow aphids can pose a problem. Younger Elliot trees are slow in producing fruit.
  
  

Gloria Grande

• Gloria grande is recommended for home yards due to its high resistance to scab. The variety is slow in producing a full crop but once mature the quality of fruit is consistent and vigorous. Gloria grande produces large, thick-shelled nuts. The trees are susceptible to black aphids and the foliage is likely to be damaged by the pests.
  
  

Excel

• Excel pecan trees are favored for homes for their immunity to scab. However the scab resistance on the variety often breaks down on the newer cultivars. The nut shell is thick and the nuts are large. The variety was discovered as a seedling tree by Andy Clough near Blackshear, Georgia.
  
  

Sumner

• Sumner pecan trees produce an average size yield when the trees start producing regularly. The trees are slow to start bearing and bear large nuts of an average quality. The trees are highly susceptible to black pecan aphids and the variety is among the first to reflect the damage of the pest. Sumner is recommended for home orchard for its historic high resistance to scab.