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Nuts

A reference guide to nut producing plants. For informational purposes only.
Availability varies.

Click here for printable (pdf) version

Type	Genus	Species	Common Name	Comments
Almonds	Prunus	dulcis	Almond	Major local commercial crop. Very early bloom--late Feb. - early March. Commercial varieties require pollenizer. Home gardeners plant self-fruitful varieties: 'All-in-One', or 'Garden Prince' (pink flowers, dwarf).
Beech nuts	Fagus	species	Beech	Very large trees grown in mountains and very cold areas. Most aren't tolerant of hot, dry climates or alkaline soil or water. Nuts edible, esp. F. grandifolia (American beech). Fagus sylvatica is listed for this area, but salts in water burn leaves.
Brazil nuts	Bertholletia	excelsa	Brazil Nut	Tropical tree from rain forests. Seeds form in a large capsule with a detachable lid.
Cashew nuts	Anacardium	occidentale	Cashew	Tropical tree from rain forests. Botanically weird. Swollen stem (pedicel) looks like an apple. 'Nut' is actually a dried fruit. In poison oak family; shell (which is removed) causes skin rash.
Chestnuts	Castanea	(C. crenata x C. sativa)	hybrid Chestnut	Big attractive trees with good quality edible nuts. Cross-pollinaton required and complicated (3 trees best); pollen smells bad. Not for small yards. Get anemic if soil or water are alkaline.
Chestnuts	Castanea	crenata	Japanese Chestnut	Very graceful, attractive tree with large edible nuts. Probably not tolerant of alkaline soil or water.
Chestnuts	Castanea	dentata	American Chestnut	The native American chestnut, mostly killed by Chestnut blight. Some resistant plants have been found and propagated, available mailorder. Very high quality nuts. Probably not tolerant of alkaline soil and water.
Chestnuts	Castanea	mollissima	Chinese Chestnut	Big tree with attractive leaves, edible nuts. Gets anemic from alkaline soil and water. Some varieties available mail order; mostly grown from seed, so quality of nuts is variable.
Chestnuts	Castanea	sativa	European Chestnut	Very big, attractive trees with very good nuts (commercial type). Cross-pollinaton required and complicated (3 trees best); pollen smells bad. Not for small yards.
Ginkgo nuts	Ginkgo	biloba	McFarland	Believe it or not, there is a female variety selected and grafted for high quality nuts, available mail order. The pulp around the seed smells like dog manure. But the nut apparently tastes good.
Hazelnut hybrids	Corylus	(C. avellana x C. cornuta)	Filazel (Hazelnut X)	Filbert hybrids which extend the growing range into colder climates. Not tolerant of hot, dry conditions.
Hazelnut hybrids	Corylus	(C.avellana x C. colurna)	Trazel (Hazelnut X)	Filbert hybrids with sweet, high-quality nuts. Not tolerant of hot, dry conditions.
Hazelnuts, Filberts	Corylus	(C.avellana, C. maxima)	Filbert	Mostly grown in Oregon. Not tolerant of hot, dry conditions. Breeding for cold hardiness and blight resistance has led to some varieties grown in very cold winter areas.
Hickory hybrids	Carya	(C. ovata x C. illinoensis)	Hican	Hybrids between Hickory and Pecan. Hardier than pecans, so grown in Northern states. Probably grow here.
Hickory nuts	Carya	laciniosa	Shellbark Hickory	Probably grow here, since pecans do. Kingnut hickory is apparently a large-leaved form producing large, high-quality nuts.
Hickory nuts	Carya	ovata	Shagbark Hickory	Probably grow here, since pecans do. Some require cross-pollenizing. According to one grower, "its rich buttery flavor is king."
Jojoba, Goatnuts	Simmondsia	chinensis	Jojoba	Southwest desert shrub produces edible nutlike fruit with flavor like filbert. Both sexes needed for production. Very tough, drought tolerant. Has been researched for oil production.
Monkey Puzzle tree	Araucaria	araucana	Monkey Puzzle tree	Huge tree produces edible nuts. Way too big for most yards. The hardiest Araucaria.
Oak acorns	Quercus	agrifolia	Coast live oak	Acorns preferred for high oil, low tannins. Native American staple crop. Grows fine here as a slow-growing evergreen tree.
Oak acorns	Quercus	bicolor	Swamp white oak	Grown in northern states for low-tannin, edible acorns, but apparently not here. SWG zones 1 - 3, 10 (very cold zones).
Oak acorns	Quercus	kelloggii	California black oak	Acorns preferred for high oil, low tannins. Native American staple crop. Native to low foothills here, but also grows well in the Valley. New growth a pretty pink color.
Oak acorns	Quercus	macrocarpa	Burr or Mossycup oak	Eastern native with low-tannin acorns. Similar to Q. bicolor, but will grow in our area.
Oak acorns	Quercus	muehlenbergii	Chinquapin, Yellow Chestnut oak	Eastern oak species. Very big, broad. Leaves hang on after turning color. Edible acorns. May grow here. SWG: 'Fairly tolerant of alkaline soils.'
Oak acorns	Quercus	(Q. muehlenbergii x Q. macrocarpa)	Sweet acorn	Hybrid oak. Comment from a grower: " A cross between the sweet chinquapin and sweet burr oak. If you're looking for a real timber tree to also supply acorns as good as corn for poultry, cattle, and wildlife feed, plant these. Being it's a hybrid it's a terrific grower."
Oak acorns	Quercus	chrysolepis	Canyon live oak	Acorns preferred for high oil, low tannins. Native American staple crop. Grows well here as a slow-growing evergreen tree.
Oak acorns	Quercus	douglasii	Blue oak
Oak acorns	Quercus	lobata	Valley oak, California white oak	Acorns preferred for high oil, low tannins. Native American staple crop.
Peanuts	Arachis	hypogaea	Peanut	Small annual looks like a sweet pea. Plant with summer vegetables in soil that has lots of compost added. Flowers develop into shoots, push into soil to produce peanuts. Dig up plants carefully when they yellow and die in late summer or fall.
Pecans	Carya	illinoensis	Pecan	Several varieties, some require pollenizer. 'Western Schley' is a widely planted self-fruitful variety.
Pine nuts	Pinus	armandi	Armand pine	I don't know if it grows here. "Nut shells are thin, and easily cracked between one's fingers."
Pine nuts	Pinus	cembra	Swiss Stone pine	Large nuts, grown in cold climates. Not suitable here. Edible nuts.
Pine nuts	Pinus	cembra sibirica	Siberian stone pine	Large nuts, grown in cold climates. Not suitable here. Edible nuts.
Pine nuts	Pinus	cembroides	Mexican pinyon	Cold hardy, also grows here. Edible nuts. Native American staple crop.
Pine nuts	Pinus	edulis	Pinyon	One of the major pine nut producing species. Cold hardy, also grows here. Native American staple crop.
Pine nuts	Pinus	gerardiana	Chilgoza pine	One of the major pine nut species, but I have no more information about it.
Pine nuts	Pinus	koraiensis	Korean pine	One of the major pine nut producing species. Large nuts, grown in cold climates. Don't know if it grows here.
Pine nuts	Pinus	monophylla	Singleleaf pinyon	One of the major pine nut producing species. Cold hardy, also grows here. Native American staple crop.
Pine nuts	Pinus	mugo mugo (pumilio)	Dwarf Siberian pine (pumilio)	Very cold hardy, also suitable here. Edible nuts.
Pine nuts	Pinus	peuce	Macedonian pine	I don't know if it grows here. "Bearing age from 7 to 12 years. Seeds are approximately the same size as the Pinus sibeirisa"
Pine nuts	Pinus	pinea	Italian stone pine	One of the major pine nut producing species. Not hardy in cold areas, but grows very well here.
Pine nuts	Pinus	quadrifolia	Parry Pinyon	I don't know if it grows here. Native American staple crop. Edible nuts
Pine nuts	Pinus	roxburghi	Chir pine	Moderately cold-hardy (to SWG Zone 5), but also very good here. Edible nuts.
Pine nuts	Pinus	sabiniana	Gray or Digger pine	Moderately cold hardy (to SWG Zone 3) California foothill native. Edible nuts. Native American staple crop.
Pine nuts	Pinus	sibirica	Siberian pine (Russian cedar)	One of the major pine nut producing species. Very cold hardy, but probably not suitable here. There are some dwarf varieties.
Pine nuts	Pinus	torreyana	Torrey pine	Native to coastal San Diego, where it clings to cliffs and grows in fantastic contorted shapes due to constant ocean winds. Grows here, but very tall and straight. Edible nuts. Native American staple crop.
Pine nuts	Pinus	lambertiana	Sugar pine	Coastal or mountain areas, not in the hot valleys. Huge cones. Edible nuts.
Pistachio nuts	Pistacia	vera	Pistachio nut	Small trees with awkward growth habit. Male and female needed for nut production. Many 'blanks'--production not reliable. Tricky to propagate, so not easy to find.
Walnut hybrids	Juglans	cinerea	Butternut	Hardiest member of the walnut family, so it is grown in northern states. Attractive tree, probably grows here, but most people would plant a walnut or pecan instead.
Walnut hybrids	Juglans	(J. cinerea x J. ailantifolia)	Buartnut	Hybrid of heartnut and butternut. "These trees exhibit hybrid vigor, disease resistance, heavy bearing, superior hardiness and often unusual nuts." Hardier than walnut, so grown in northern states. Probably grows here.
Walnuts	Juglans	californica californica	California Black (Southern)	The Southern California Black walnut, not grown much outside its native range.
Walnuts	Juglans	californica hindsii	California Black (Northern)	The Northern California Black walnut. Very high quality nuts, collected along roadsides for specialty candy and ice cream markets. Wood is highly prized. Roots and leaves put a toxin into the soil below which prevents growth of many plants.
Walnuts	Juglans	nigra	Black walnut (Eastern)	The eastern US native Black walnut. High quality nuts. Roots and leaves put a toxin into the soil below the trees, which prevents growth of many plants.
Walnuts	Juglans	regia	Persian or English	Persian, Carpathian, English, California walnut. Very large, spreading trees. Common allergy trees. Produce heavy crops of nuts. Drawbacks? Codling moth, husk fly, toxin put in soil by roots and leaves (prevents growth of many plants). Many varieties. 'Hartley', 'Chandler', and 'Franquette' are local commercial varieties. 'Carmelo' has very large, high-quality kernels.
Walnuts	Juglans	regia X purpurea	Robert Livermore Walnut	This hybrid between English walnut and a Chinese species produces high-quality red kernels!
Walnuts	Juglans	ailantifolia cordiformis	Heartnut	"The heartnut is a seed sport of the Japanese walnut. Rather than the normal egg-shaped Japanese walnut shell, the heartnut is a flattened heart-shaped nut that readily splits in two halves."

Quotes are from Grimo Nut Nursery

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© 2008 Don Shor, Redwood Barn Nursery, Inc., 1607 Fifth Street, Davis, Ca 95616
www.redwoodbarn.com
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Nuts

A reference guide to nut producing plants. For informational purposes only. Availability varies.

Click here for printable (pdf) version

Quotes are from Grimo Nut Nursery

A reference guide to nut producing plants. For informational purposes only.
Availability varies.