What's the difference between an English walnut tree and a black walnut tree?

Black Walnuts are the only all-wild tree nut in the United States. Nearly all Black Walnuts come from trees growing in the wild, while English walnuts come from orchards. The main difference between Black Walnuts and English walnuts are the rich, bold, distinctive flavor of the Black Walnut.

Is a walnut tree the same as Black Walnut?

English walnuts have a much thinner and easily breakable shell or hull compared to the black walnut, allowing the fruit to be harvested more easily and as a whole. Black walnut trees are typically grown more so for their wood, due to the nature of their hard-to-harvest fruit from hulls.

How do I identify an English walnut tree?

The English Walnut leaf has five to nine leaflets, always in odd intervals. The leaflets are symmetrical on the stem. Other walnut trees, such as the Black Walnut has 15 to 23 leaflets, where the related Butternut has 11 to 19. The English Walnut is therefore unique in its small number of leaflets.

Is English walnut the same as walnut?

The English walnut and the Persian walnut are the same walnut. Black walnuts are an heirloom American ingredient. Because they have a different flavor than English walnuts, they cannot be substituted 1:1 in recipes calling for walnuts without affecting the recipe outcome.

Can you eat the walnuts from an English walnut tree?

A pitted shell encases a fibrous, leather sheath that splits as the nuts begin to ripen in the fall and indicates that walnut tree harvesting is nigh. Once you are done harvesting the walnuts, you can eat them right away, but keep in mind they won't be quite like those purchased ones at the grocers.

English Walnuts and Black Walnuts Harvest

Which is healthier Black Walnuts or English walnuts?

Black walnuts have higher levels of antioxidants, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and other health-promoting compounds than the more common English walnuts, making them useful in reducing the risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

What does an English walnut look like?

English walnuts (Juglans regia) look like green tennis balls when they are on the tree. But after falling to the ground, their rough green husks turn from green color to a very dark brown (almost black) color. The taste of English walnuts is described as mild and pleasant.

How do I identify a black walnut tree?

A black walnut tree is identified by its irregular oval crown, large pinnately compound green leaves, dark gray furrowed bark, and large green globose fruit clusters. A black walnut tree is easy to spot in the fall because of the masses of nuts under the tree.

Which type of walnut is best?

How big is an English walnut?

The nuts are slightly oval and 1½–2" in diameter with a smooth, notably thin outer shell (husk) that opens easily when ripe. A light brown, woody inner shell is slightly corrugated and holds the walnut kernel. Begins to bear nuts as early as 4–8 years after planting.

What do English walnut tree leaves look like?

Look for a large or small terminal leaflet.

English walnut trees also have a large terminal leaf, but with smooth (not serrated) edges. Black walnut leaves have a much smaller leaflet protruding from the tip of the twig. Sometimes black walnuts won't grow terminal leaves at all.

Is English walnut good firewood?

Walnut is a good firewood when compared to other firewoods because of its medium density and ease of burning. It burns clean, is easy to start and has a pleasant aroma. Walnut may not produce quite as much heat when compared to other hardwoods such as Oak, but it is much better than burning a softwood such as Cedar.

What is a black walnut log worth?

Thus, a 22-inch DBH black walnut tree with one 8-foot veneer log may bring $510 (170 board feet x $3.00/ft), whereas a 26-inch DBH black walnut tree with one 8-foot veneer log may command $1300 (260 board feet x $5.00/ft).

Do English walnut trees produce juglone?

Other trees closely related to black walnut, such as butternut, pecan, shagbark hickory, and English walnut also produce juglone, but at concentrations lower than black walnut. Rarely do these trees affect juglone-sensitive plants.

Can you eat black walnuts off the tree?

Black walnuts can be enjoyed raw and have an interestingly sweet and earthy taste to them that goes great on top of desserts, such as ice cream or cupcakes. They can also be dipped in a sugar syrup and enjoyed as a candy or ground to a meal and made into a flour.

Do deer eat black walnuts?

Deer do not usually eat black walnuts because their nuts are too hard to crack. Black walnuts also make a great cover scent against deer and other mammals. Deer do not like that pungent smell that their shells give off. Deer will also eat tiny small walnut seedlings and sprouts from stumps.

Where are English walnuts grown?

The English walnut (Juglans regia) is a majestic tree with a broad crown. Grown as a shade tree, it also produces edible, nutrient-rich nuts used in all types of recipes or simply eaten raw. Native to southwest Asia and southeast Europe, the tree is an important commercial crop in California, Oregon and Washington.

What state produces the most walnuts?

Domestically, California is the nation's number one walnut producer, accounting for nearly all walnuts produced in the U.S. (Fig 1).

Is Pecan a walnut?

Cracking the Nutshell: While walnuts and pecans are thought to be interchangeable to the naked eye, there are some pertinent differences in their appearance, taste, and nutrient breakdown. Pecans are smaller, sweeter, and cheaper than walnuts, with a higher degree of fiber, monounsaturated fat, and vitamin E.

Why is black walnut wood so expensive?

Walnut wood is quite expensive, though it's not the most expensive wood type on earth. The main reason walnut is pricier than most other hardwoods (and softwoods) is that it's scarcer and tends to grow slower. Thus, the demand way exceeds the supply.

Are there different types of black walnut trees?

There are five native walnut species in North America: black walnut, butternut, Arizona walnut and two species in California. The two most commonly found walnuts found in native locations are the black walnut and butternut.

Should I cut down my black walnut tree?

Here are the best reasons to cut down your black walnut tree: Other plants can't grow around it, it has surface roots, it requires too much upkeep, branches are too close to your property, to minimize storm damage, or the tree is dying and browning.

Do English walnuts grow in the US?

Black and English walnuts can grow throughout the United States and Southern Canada. However, major walnut commercial orchards are found mainly in California, but also in Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa.

What are English walnuts good for?

Walnuts are rich in antioxidants and healthy fats. They may reduce heart disease and cancer risk, as well as improve brain function and possibly slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease.

Do black walnuts taste different than English walnuts?

Nearly all Black Walnuts come from trees growing in the wild, while English walnuts come from orchards. The main difference between Black Walnuts and English walnuts are the rich, bold, distinctive flavor of the Black Walnut.