What is the official state nut of Alabama?

The pecan is the official state nut of Alabama. Alabama law designated the pecan as the state nut in 1982, recognizing a tree and crop with deep agricultural roots across the southeastern United States.

Pecans are native to North America and grow especially well in the warm, humid South. Alabama’s climate supports pecan trees, which can live for many decades and produce nuts inside green husks that split open as they mature. The edible kernel is rich, buttery, and commonly used in pies, pralines, candies, cakes, and roasted snacks.

The pecan belongs to the hickory family, not the walnut family, although both are familiar members of the broader walnut order. Its name comes through Indigenous languages, with “pecan” generally linked to nuts that require a stone or tool to crack.

Peanuts are also an important Alabama crop and are strongly associated with Southern food culture, but they are not the state nut. The pecan holds that official designation, while the peach is Alabama’s state tree fruit and blackberry is the state fruit.