Literary Hub » How an Enslaved Gardener Transformed the Pecan Into a Cash Crop Literary Hub Craft and Criticism Literary Criticism Craft and Advice In Conversation On Translation Fiction and Poetry Short Story From the Novel Poem News and Culture History Science Politics Biography Memoir Food Technology Bookstores and Libraries Film and TV Travel Music Art and Photography The Hub Style Design Sports BUY A HAT Lit Hub Radio The Lit Hub Podcast Awakeners Fiction/Non/Fiction The Critic and Her Publics Windham-Campbell Prizes Podcast Memoir Nation Beyond the Page First Draft: A Dialogue on Writing Thresholds The Cosmic Library Culture Schlock Reading Lists The Best of the Decade Book Marks Best Reviewed Books CrimeReads True Crime The Daily Thrill Log In Craft and Criticism Fiction and Poetry News and Culture Lit Hub Radio Reading Lists Book Marks CrimeReads Log In How an Enslaved Gardener Transformed the Pecan Into a Cash Crop Beronda L. Montgomery on the Unsung Contributions of Black and Indigenous People to American Biology Via Henry Holt and Co. Beronda L. Montgomery January 23, 2026 Pecan nuts were already a dietary staple for Native Americans in various parts of what is now the United States before Antoine’s innovation established the basis for a commercial pecan industry. This use of pecans by Indigenous people should not be surprising given that that the name of the nut, “pecan,” itself is thought to be derived from the Algonquin word “pakani,” which translates to “a nut too hard to crack by hand” or, alternatively, “a nut requiring a stone to crack.” Article continues after advertisement Pecans were used in various dishes by Native Americans; they were also central in trade and in other important parts of life. Fermented nuts were used in traditional Indigenous ceremonies. For example, fermented nuts were used by the Algonquin to make a drink known as “powcohiccora” that was consumed in sacred ritual, as well as during battles to enhance the bravery of fighters. Additionally, extracts from pulverized pecan tree parts such as leaves and bark served medicinal purposes, including as antibacterial and antifungal agents, to treat ailments such as ringworm and nausea. Antoine’s successful inosculation would produce what came to be known as the Centennial variety of pecan, which transformed the commercial pecan industry. Noting the many decades, if not centuries, of importance of pecans in the lives of Indigenous people in the United States, it was Antoine’s plant grafting experiments with pecan trees during the nineteenth century that led to the development of a viable propagation method. This ability to increase propagation and growth was important, as these nuts were consumed by many Southerners in the areas where they grew and were indeed a prized nutrition source due to their fat content and ease of storage and transport. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson planted pecans at their plantations, with Washington being known to carry them

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