Juglans regia

Below, we focus on Juglans regia, the walnut. Its most striking feature is probably its edible nuts.

In the fall (September), the fruits are surrounded by a light green husk that is smooth on the outside. The nut itself is slightly ribbed, brown, and edible once cracked open. The species does not actually produce nuts until 10 to 15 years later. If you want edible nuts on the tree sooner, it’s best to choose a grafted cultivar, such as ‘Broadview’ or ‘Buccaneer’. However, these trees often have less attractive crowns than the species.

The tree forms a broad, spreading crown, often with strikingly heavy structural branches. It can eventually grow to a height of 15 to 20 meters. These characteristics make the tree ideal for planting in parks, on larger green spaces, in a food forest, or in an orchard. In the past, these trees were often planted along unpaved paths in rural areas.

Another attractive feature is the beautiful, light-green, pinnate leaves. These compound leaves can grow to be as long as 20 to 30 cm. After the leaves develop in May and June, the male flowers appear in pendulous catkins 6 to 8 cm long. The smaller and less conspicuous female flowers grow in clusters of 2 or 5.

The tree is native to southeastern Europe and the temperate regions of Asia. Its native range extends from central China to eastern Turkey. The Romans introduced the tree to the Mediterranean region and Western Europe. The tree has been cultivated for centuries for its high-quality wood and edible nuts. We primarily grow Juglans regia as a tree, though nowadays it is also grown as a shrub.

Photo locations: Haaren, Floriade Almere, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, and our nursery