April is National Pecan Month—a month that celebrates the only tree nut native to North America. Native Americans used pecans for thousands of years before Europeans landed in North America and “discovered” them during the 16th century.

Since then, pecans have found their way into numerous dishes, desserts, and even drinks. Over the last few years, the popularity of pecans has skyrocketed, primarily due to an increase in domestic consumption in the United States.

Over the past few years, consumption of pecans has increased to almost half a billion tons a year. So, it’s safe to say that many people will be observing this month dedicated to pecans.

The History of National Pecan Month

This month was created in 2001 by the U.S. Congress to help increase the popularity of pecans not only in the U.S. but around the world. And over the past few decades, it appears that this month has been successful in increasing the popularity of pecans and encouraging more people to consider them for their cooking and baking needs.

Some Interesting Facts About Pecans

Below are some fun and interesting facts about pecans that we think everyone can really dig into. We discovered the following factoids as we researched this holiday, and we hope that our readers find them as delicious as they do the pecans celebrated during this month.

• Scientifically speaking, pecans aren’t nuts but are instead drupes.
• Spanish explorers named them “Nuez de la Arruga” during the 16th century, which means “wrinkle nuts.”
• The pecan tree is a relative of the hickory tree.
• Pecan trees can live for up to 300 years.
• Approximately 90% of the world’s pecan supply is grown in the United States.
• During WWII, rationing was common, so many people used roasted pecan shells as a coffee substitute.
• There are approximately 1,000 different varieties of pecans.

Observing National Pecan Month

If we said that there were probably about a million ways to use pecans, you might not believe us. In fact, you might even say that we were exaggerating, but we assure you that we are not. We’ve seen pecans used in everything from pies to cakes, to stews and soups, and even in alcoholic beverages such as the Pecan Old Fashioned.

So, let’s grab a handful of pecans and tip our glasses to them as we celebrate this month. And we should also take the time to spread the word about National Pecan Month using the hashtag #NationalPecanMonth on social media.