Pecan

Overview

Pecan is the pecan-nut tree, and its timber is a hickory in everything but name: hard, tough, light to medium brown with a reddish hue and a pale sapwood. It sits in the "pecan hickory" group rather than the true hickories, and Wood Database says it is slightly stabler but weaker than true hickory while still among the hardest woods native to the US. Most of it is sold mixed with true hickory as "hickory".

Pros

• Very hard (1,820 lbf) and strong, a little lighter than shagbark hickory (about 735 kg/m3 against 800).
• Somewhat more stable than true hickory: 4.9% radial and 8.9% tangential shrinkage, against 7.0% and 10.5% for shagbark.
• Takes stain, glue and finish well, and steam-bends well.
• Attractive reddish-brown heartwood; boards with both heartwood and sapwood have a lively rustic look.

Cons

• Wood Database rates it difficult to work: tear-out is common unless edges are sharp, and the wood blunts tools.
• Non-durable to perishable for heartwood decay and very susceptible to insect attack; not an outdoor wood.
• Harder to find as clearly labelled pecan; it is usually mixed into plain hickory.
• Priced above ordinary hickory at the two dealers we found, so there is little reason to pay extra unless you want pecan specifically.

Variants and subspecies

• Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), from the south-central United States, is the main species.
• True hickory (shagbark, mockernut, pignut) is harder and denser, and shrinks more; see Hickory.
• Sapwood vs heartwood: pale sapwood and darker brown heartwood in one board give a calico look.

Working and finishing

Treat it as hickory. Sharp carbide, light cuts, and a card scraper or hand plane for tear-out. Pre-drill for screws and nails. Glues well. Wood Database says it responds well to steam bending. The earlywood pores are large to very large, so fill them for a smooth film finish.

Staining and finishing colour

Wood Database says pecan stains and finishes well. The natural colour is attractive enough that most pieces get clear oil or lacquer. Sapwood and heartwood may take colour differently, so test on scrap.

Sustainability and handling

Wood Database states pecan is not in the CITES Appendices and not on the IUCN Red List (checked 2026-09-30). Beyond the standard risks of wood dust, Wood Database says no further health reactions have been associated with pecan. The US National Cancer Institute reports strong and consistent associations between wood-dust exposure and cancers of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, so extract dust and wear a respirator. US-grown timber is covered by the Lacey Act. The tree is also grown for its nuts.

Popular projects

Wood Database lists tool handles, ladder rungs, wheel spokes and flooring. In furniture it suits tables, benches, cabinet frames and chairs where a tough, warm brown wood is wanted.

Buying notes

Check the label: most yards sell "hickory/pecan" mixed, at the hickory price. Pecan-only stock is limited and sold in the central and southern US, in 4/4 to 8/4 mostly. Two sellers listed it at $6.50-8.00 a board foot, but neither page was dated. If you do not care which Carya you get, ordinary Hickory is cheaper and a bit harder.