Not Concrete Pavers Or Gravel: The Eco-Friendly Landscape Alternative That Looks Nice

Concrete pavers and gravel make excellent and long-lasting landscaping features like an easy pathway or patio. Both materials are eco-friendly in their own right. Gravel is highly permeable and sourced from naturally weathered stones, and concrete pavers can be made from recycled materials, which reduces their carbon footprint. However, there is another eco-friendly landscaping alternative that looks beautiful and offers numerous benefits: pecan shell mulch.

Derived from the pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis), pecan shells are a natural byproduct of nut production. While the nuts themselves are sold as edibles, the shells can be repurposed into a natural and attractive mulch. The rich brown color of the shells mimics the look of traditional bark mulch. Some pecan shell mulch has a reddish hue, which is derived from trees that grow in the Southwest.

Pecan shell mulch is highly sustainable. Pecans are a huge cash crop in the United States. The trees grow from southern California all the way east to the Carolinas, with Texas, Georgia, and New Mexico the highest-producing states. If you live in USDA Zones 6-9, you could even start your own pecan tree from a nut. 

Pecan shell mulch might be the best type of mulch for your next landscaping project in more ways than just looking pretty. Not only will it act as a ground cover that suppresses weed, retains moisture, and maintains level soil temperatures, but over time, pecan shells break down and return nutrients to the soil. This enriches the soil, which in turn makes your plants healthier over time. Neither gravel nor concrete pavers provides this benefit.

The one downside of pecan shell mulch is that it is not widely available in retail stores outside the southern United States. You can, however,  purchase boxed pecan shells from online sources. These are sold as "BBQ" pecan shells because they are popular for use in smoking meats. You can still use them directly in your garden. If you need to cover a large swath of landscaping, purchasing the mulch in bulk is a more economical option.

You can use pecan shells as you would any hardwood mulch. They make an excellent addition to ornamental beds, around trees, and even in vegetable gardens. You can also use them to make pathways. Their rich color and rough texture will lend an elegant, rustic aesthetic to your property.