Pecan is a deciduous tree with the biological name of Carya illinoinensis. They grow naturally in alluvial soil and bottomlands. This includes areas where availability of water is abundant and continuous. If this hardwood tree embraces above 50 percent of its surrounding forest biomass, the forest area is categorized as a "climax pecan forest." These plantations are the major source of pecan nut, which is a familiar dietary product and pecan wood. The first recognized climax pecan forests gained popularity in the mid nineteenth century and pecan wood has since been a commercially viable hardwood type. Such widespread availability initiated the use of pecan wood for dining room furniture.
Manufacturers, timber market and plantation owners, carpenters and culturists deem pecan wood as a "hard to treat" variety. For this reason, pecan wood dining room furniture should be purchased after verifying wood history and age. If it is not treated correctly, pecan dining room furniture will rot and decay in time. This is because pecan wood can retain moisture for an extended period. When pecan wood is dried, the wood tends to shrink considerably and the process is time consuming. If pecan wood is treated appropriately then it proves to be stable and durable. Pecan dining room furniture includes tables, chairs, stands, cabinets and serving trolleys.
Pecan wood is characterized as a close-grained hard wood. They are a light reddish-brown wood with irregular dark streaks. Pecan wood is abundantly available because these trees can grow to a height of 25-40 meters. They grow well in areas that are classified as hardiness zones of 5 to 9. Plantations thrive in areas where summers are hot and humid. Pecan, along with other "hickory woods," is classified in the third hardwood group in the United States. Pecan wood is highly valued and is cultivated in areas around the lower Mississippi river and its tributaries, central and southern United States and Mexico. Pecan wood for dining room furniture can also be imported from Australia, Brazil, Israel, Mexico, Peru and South Africa.