We've been keeping warm these past few weeks of winter by leafing through the various state trees of our High Plains region. Today's Growing on the High Plains take a peek at the mighty pecan tree, a beloved fixture of my Oklahoma childhood and a prominent producer of nut crops in Texas. While the name "pecan" has a handful of regional pronunciations, the shells also come in both hard and soft-shell varieties. But whether you have a nostalgic connection to these prized nuts, or if you just relish the many baked goods that boast their bounty, the pecan tree remains a sturdy symbol of how hard work yields tasty rewards.
Growing on the High Plains: Pecan Trees
![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f45470c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/612x408+0+0/resize/880x587!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fhppr%2Ffiles%2F202102%2Fpecantree-ghp.jpg)