A common question asked by homeowners is “Can I plant just one pecan tree in my yard or pasture?” To sufficiently answer this question, we must first discuss the dichogamy of a pecan tree and how it affects pollination.
Pollination in the pecan orchard is critical to both the yield and quality of nuts. Pecan trees are cross-pollinated (allogamous) and although self-pollination is possible, the result is largely unsuccessful. Pecan trees are wind-pollinated; therefore, pollinators (i.e., bees) are not required to complete pollination. Cross-pollinated pecans are usually larger and higher quality than self-pollinated pecans. Self-pollination can reduce nut quality and greatly reduce crop yield by as much as 75 percent.
