Elliott

Elliot pecan cultivar shown with whole nuts at the top and shelled kernels below, arranged above and below a measuring ruler and a kernel color rating scale, with the cultivar name ‘Elliot’ beneath the kernels.

Comparison of pecan cultivars labeled Desirable, Elliot, and Stuart, showing shelled kernels and whole nuts arranged in rows, with a kernel color scale and ruler along the left side for size and color reference.

Average nut quality of 'Elliott' test trees from year 1 to 20.

# Nuts / lb.	% Kernel	Kernel quality breakdown			Specific gravity
		% Fancy	% Standard	% Amber
77	51%	37%	13%	1%	0.80

History

The original 'Elliott' tree was a seedling in the lawn of a house in Milton, Fla., purchased by Henry Elliot in 1912. This tree was resistant to scab and produced up to 250 pounds of high quality nuts (Sparks, 1992). Read in depth about 'Elliott'.

Comments

'Elliott' is widely planted in Georgia. Its resistance to scab and excellent quality nuts were responsible for the Georgia Extension Service recommending it for orchard planting in the early 1960's. We still recommend it for growers looking for a cultivar that needs little or no scab protection.

'Elliott' has a small, teardrop-shaped nut of very good quality. Growers should receive a premium price because of its plump, perfect halves. Percentage fill and specific gravity are high. It bears alternately, but nuts are high quality in the "on" years. It is excellent as a party nut, and has a distinct hickory nut flavor. Growers should seek those specialty markets that are aware of the merits of this cultivar, otherwise, it might bring seedling prices. High scab resistance makes it a good choice for home orchard plantings. 'Elliott' is susceptible to late spring freezes and should not be planted in north Georgia, or in low spots. For this area I would recommend 'Kanza' instead. Yellow aphids can be a problem with this cultivar, and young trees are slow to come into production.

Pollen shed and pistil receptivity

Production record of test trees beginning in year planted

Line graph titled ‘Elliott’ showing pecan yield in pounds per tree across growing seasons, with multiple colored lines representing trees planted in 1955 and 1960; x‑axis labeled ‘Growing Season,’ y‑axis labeled ‘Yield (lbs/tree),’ and note indicating final year 1998.

'Elliot' production from the old variety test. Each colored line represents the yearly production in pounds of nuts from an individual tree beginning the year planted. Note the up and down production from trees in an alternate bearing cycle. Luckily, nut quality remains high in the ON year.

Alternate Bearing Intensity = 0.68