Marilyn's Photos Aug 19 2025 - Walnuts are Everywhere
There's a walnut tree across the street. It is not our native walnut - Juglans nigra - that's everywhere on the Niagara landscape. What they have is the European Walnut, or Persian Walnut. It is Juglans regia. It has many common names - English, European, Carpathian, California. Wherever it has travelled, the name has been changed to suit the region. It is very adaptable.
There are many varieties, once I start to check them out. That makes sense given what a huge crop they are. Hybridization would have been carried out throughout the 20th century. Hybrids include Combe - introduced from Utah, Ames from the Iowa State University field trials, Young's B1 from Lyons, NY, North Platte from Nebraska, Broadview from Kelowna B.C. and one of the hardiest varieties with good blight resistance and drought tolerance. Then there's Sejnovo from Bulgaria, Dooley from Marion Indiana which can be cracked with fingers, and Coble 2 - from Pennsylvania with a very large oval nut the size of a goose egg (that's big).
I expect the tree across the street is Broadview as it is slow to develop leaves and quick to drop them in the fall. We don't get to do any cracking and tasting as the squirrels hoard the tree and everything on it. Something noticable this year is that it has some die-back and one of the articles talks about a blight that needs treating with spray through-out the spring. I guess that's work for next year.
Walnuts take on different flavours based on soil, weather/climate and cultivation. We think of the taste of walnuts in terms of California nuts - mild creamy, sweet. They are the staple grocery store walnut. French walnuts are much richer, earthier and robust in taste. What about our walnuts grown in Ontario? The Ontario growers consider the Ontario walnuts sweeter and having a maple syrup note. Maybe that's from being in butter tarts.
This was a little squirrel gift left on the patio. It is one of the native walnuts, I think, with a pretty heart-shape nut. You have to clean up the outer shell, as it is very staining.
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