Our Pecans

4 Delicious Varieties
Mark Friesenhahn with scoop of fresh in-shell pecans at the Comal Pecan Farm Store

4 Pecan Varieties

There are over 180 types (varieties or “cultivars”) of pecans. At the Comal Pecan Farm we grow mainly four soft shell varieties:

Pawnee – Generally harvested the last week of Sept. thru 1st week of Oct

Wichita – Generally harvested in mid-Oct

Cheyenne – Generally harvested mid to late Oct

Kiowa – Generally harvested late Oct. to early Nov

Cheyenne Variety Pecans

The Cheyenne variety of pecans was released by the USDA in 1970, this tree produces an excellent nut that shells out bright, wrinkled, perfect halves. It matures during mid-season (about mid-October) and is a very popular cultivar for uses requiring perfect shelled halves.

Cheyenne pecans are a mid-season pollinating tree and it may have a natural resistance to aphids, which are a leading pecan pest. However, it will take some additional years to fully understand its aphid resistance profile.

Expected nut size and yield: 58 nuts/lb., 59% kernel

Cheyenne Variety pecan shell and meat

Wichita Variety Pecans

The Wichita variety of pecans is a big fan of most Texas pecan farmers. It produces the most pecans per tree of any other variety of pecans here in Texas.  Over the many years of its development it has become ideally suited for the weather and environment of central and west Texas.

Learn more about Wichita Pecans

Kiowa variety pecans

Developed from a cross of Mahan x Odom in Brownwood, Tx. in 1953. However, isozyme and DNA analysis rule ‘Odom’ out as the pollen parent and indicate the cross to more likely be Mahan x Desirable. The Kiowa pecan variety was released by the USDA in 1976 and produces large, high-quality nuts with a high-percent kernel. It matures later in the season (late October, early November), and is a good choice for the buyer desiring a larger nut.

Expected nut size and yield: 45 nuts/lb., 58% kernel

Kiowa Variety pecan shell and meat
Pawnee Variety pecan shell and meat

Pawnee Variety Pecans

The Pawnee is from a cross of Mohawk x Starking Hardy Giant, made in Brownwood, Texas, in 1963. The Pawnee variety was released by the USDA in early 1984. It produces an early-maturing, medium-size pecan, with high-percent kernel. Pawnees are ready for sale during late September, making them a good choice for the buyer who wants new-crop pecans as soon as possible during the harvest season.

Expected nut size and yield: 50 nuts/lb., 58% kernel