Trees That Bear Edible Nuts
Crunchy, nutritious, and satisfying, nuts are one of nature’s most delightful gifts. Cracking open that hard shell is worth the effort when there is an edible nut inside. Some of the species on this list may already be among your favorites, while others may prompt you to bring a new flavor into your world.
The English walnut is a large deciduous tree. There are many superstitious beliefs tied to it, one of which originates from the island of Skopelos: people believe that the planter of a walnut tree will die once the English walnut grows tall enough to see the sea.
The Common sunflower is recognizable for its bright flower on a very tall stem. It is often grown in gardens. These flowers have been important in culture: they were worshipped by the ancient Inca people, and today, they represent eco-friendly movements. The artist Vincent Van Gogh made a famous series of paintings about Common sunflowers. Wild versions of the plant branch out to many flower heads, but domesticated plants typically only have one.
Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a chestnut tree native to the southern region of Europe. The seeds of Sweet chestnut are one of the most ancient foods. Sweet chestnut grows well in weathered soil at an acidic pH.
Pecan is a stately deciduous tree best known for its tasty pecan nuts. Generally grown in southern, warmer states, the pecan trees are known for being messy and quite large. A single tree can grow up to 130 feet tall and 75 feet wide.
American chestnut is a rapidly growing deciduous hardwood tree, historically reaching up to 30 m in height. It was once considered one of the most important forest trees in its habitat but was nearly completely wiped out by chestnut blight early in the twentieth century. Today, very few mature trees remain, although small shoots are plentiful.
Italian tone pine (Pinus pinea) is an evergreen tree whose rounded, umbrella-like canopy provides plenty of shade. It thrives in full sun and is drought-tolerant. Its pine cones produce the popular and delicious pine nuts, a valuable food crop that can be harvested, dried and eaten.
Almond (Prunus dulcis) is a tree native to the Middle East that’s prized and cultivated throughout the world for its edible nuts. The fruit of this species is called a drupe. Experts believe Almond trees were one of the first trees cultivated by humans, starting some 4-5,000 years ago.
Black walnut (Juglans nigra) is a large riparian zone tree native to North America. It is cultivated for nutritious walnuts and the high-quality dark timber. Juglans nigra produces juglone, a compound that inhibits the growth of other plants in the walnut tree’s proximity, so it may be undesirable near lawns and gardens. It is susceptible to Thousand cankers disease.
Common hazel (Corylus avellana) is a deciduous shrub species that is cultivated for its edible nuts. Hazelnuts can refer to the nut from any Corylus species, but it most often refers to Corylus avellana. The nuts from Common hazel are eaten straight or used in making confectionary. Common hazel is native to Europe and western Asia.
A well-known tree of southwestern North America, the Colorado pinyon is a state tree of New Mexico (USA), and the most common tree in Colorado (USA) where it makes 22% of state forests. The seeds are dispersed by the famous Pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus). Many other birds, such as the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae) eat Colorado pinyon seeds. It’s an extremely drought-tolerant tree.
Macadamia nut (Macadamia integrifolia) is a broadleaf evergreen prized for its nuts. Indigenous to Australia, macadamia nuts have been an important food source for aboriginal Australians for thousands of years. The tree made its way to Hawaii in 1837. The shells are so hard that ordinary handheld nutcrackers can’t open them, and commercial growers use powerful husking machines to crack them.
It may surprise you to know that Cashew (Anacardium occidentale) is related to poison ivy, pistachio, and even mango! It is a tropical evergreen native to Brazil and produces a wood used to build shipping crates, boats, and charcoal. The resin in the shells of the fruits are used to make insecticides and plastics, so the nuts must be separated from the shells before being sold as food. Explorers from Portugal are responsible for introducing Cashews to the outside world.
The tree grows up to 10 m. It has deciduous pinnate leaves 10–20 cm. The fruit is a drupe, containing an elongated seed, which is the edible portion. The fruit has a hard, cream-colored exterior shell. The seed has a mauve-colored skin and light green flesh, with a distinctive flavor.
Singleleaf pinyon (Pinus monophylla) is an evergreen tree that will grow from 15 to 30 feet tall. Growing slowly it has attractive gray-green foliage. The needles are very ornamental and the tree is prized for its beautiful foliage. Grows in full sun with low moisture and well-drained soil. It cannot tolerate standing water. Makes a great wind break, hedge or street tree in urban areas.
Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) is an annual that can grow from 18 to 24 inches tall. It is a legume crop grown mostly for its edible seeds. Golden yellow flowers bloom in spring and seed begins to develop after flowers fade. The peanut pods grow underground. Cultivated and harvested peanuts and peanut oil are used in a variety of products.
Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroides) is an evergreen pine tree that grows from 50 to 65 feet tall with an attractive conical shape. It produces reddish-brown cones in spring. Cones mature in fall with edible seeds or pine nuts, which are consumed by both humans and animals. It thrives in full sun, requires low irrigation, and is drought tolerant.