About Pecan Trees

The Mighty Pecan Tree

The pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) is a species of hickory native to North America, primarily found in the southern United States and Mexico. These majestic trees can live for over 300 years and grow up to 44 meters tall, making them one of the largest nut-producing trees in the world.

Pecan trees thrive in areas with long, hot summers and mild winters. They require deep, well-drained soil and plenty of space to spread their extensive root systems. The trees are deciduous, losing their leaves in autumn after producing their valuable nut harvest.

The Harvest Season

In South Africa, pecan harvesting takes place from April to June, during our autumn months. We grow our own pecan trees on our family farm just outside Upington in the Northern Cape, where the warm climate provides ideal growing conditions for these magnificent trees.

The Northern Cape's warm days and cool nights during the growing season create pecans with exceptional flavor and quality. The nuts naturally fall from the trees when ripe, and we use specialized equipment to gather them efficiently from our orchards.

After harvesting, our pecans are cleaned, dried, and sorted by size and quality right here on the farm. Only the finest pecans from our Upington orchards make it into our rusks, delivering that rich, buttery flavor with about 70% oil content that makes our rusks truly special.