May. Fruits ripen in September and October and as dispersed from September through December. The green husks turn brown to black as they ripen. Good crops are produced at intervals from 1-3 years. Seed dispersal is principally by water and animals. Floating nuts can be carried considerable distances by flood water.
Aerial dispersion is mainly by squirrels.
Prior to the ice age, the pecan tree spanned all of Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as North America. Today it is native only to the United States. It is most commonly found in the floor plains of the Mississippi River and other low-lying wet terrain. Thought to be the only tree cultivated in orchards by the pre-Colonial Native Americans. Because it was an important food source, the Algonquins chose not to rely soley on the nut harvest from the wild forest pecan tree.