Fruit and Nut Plants from around the world
Check out our Moringa ( Horseradish
Tree ) Books/Seeds/Info Page
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Papaya ( carica ) varieties from around the world
D2228 Common Olive Olea europaea
A most useful tree that can be grown in any temperate climate.
It also can be grown in containers. The tree itself is
attractive and usually becomes gnarled with age. It bears the
olive of commerce that reach up to 1½" in dia. and are
filled with oil. The flowers are tiny and yellow, the foliage a
light grey-green.
FA55 Noni Juice Tree Morinda citrifolia
Also called Indian Mulberry Tree. This popular tropical tree
has attractive oval leathery leaves and produces numerous white
flowers. Dyes of various colors are derived from the roots and
the tree has medicinal uses.
The amazing thing about the Morinda Citrifolia plant is that
every part is used, although the fruit is the most widely
used.
The plant reaches heights of 15-20 feet and yields fruit year
round. The blossoms of the plant are a creamy white color. The
mature fruit is about the size of a potato and resembles a
small breadfruit.
This plant can be grown in warm greenhouses and inside in tubs
if given warmth and bright light. Outside, in zone 10 and
higher.
2566 Lemon Guava Psidium cattleianum
lucidum
Small bush or tree to 20-25ft, although often much smaller,
best for zones 8b-10. The lemon guava is very adaptable and can
be grown outdoors throughout much of Florida and California. It
will fruit in a container almost anywhere if protected from
hard freezes. Lemon guava's are hardy to 22F when full grown.
Trees grow well in full sun and with ample water, although
short periods of drought will not harm the plant.
D2204 Paw Paw Tree Asimia triloba .
Pawpaws are native to the Eastern half of the United States,
from the Gulf Coastal plain to the Great Lakes. The fruit look
like short, fat bananas. They have a fragrant aroma, a custardy
texture, and a tropical taste. The best ones are rich, creamy
and sweet, reminding some people of banana cream pie. Compared
to apples, peaches and grapes, Pawpaw is higher in food energy,
and has more than double the amount of vitamin C, and is much
higher in minerals.
It is higher in protein, fiber, and carbohydrate. It has a much
higher content of amino acids in a good balance. It has mainly
unsaturated fatty acids, and is a good source of linoleic and
linolenic acids. It is a small tree, seldom taller than 25
feet. Grown in full sun, the pawpaw tree develops a narrowly
pyramidal shape with dense, drooping foliage down to the ground
level. In the shade it has a more open branching habit with few
lower limbs and horizontally held leaves. Pawpaw trees require
warm to hot summers, mild to cold winters, and a minimum of 32
inches (81 cm) of rainfall spread rather evenly throughout the
year, with the majority falling in spring and summer.
It can be grown successfully in USDA plant
hardiness zones 5 (-15 F/-26 C min. temp.) through 8 (15 F/-9 C
min. temp.)
Shading for the first year, and sometimes the second, is
normally required outside, and it is for this reason that
pawpaws are almost always found in nature as an understory
tree. Although the pawpaw is capable of fruiting in the shade,
optimum fruit yields are obtained in open exposure, with some
protection from wind (on account of the large leaves). Plant at
least two trees for fruit production, to ensure
cross-pollination. The soil should be slightly acid (pH 5.5-7),
deep, fertile, and well-drained. Good drainage is essential to
success. Pawpaws will not thrive in heavy soil or waterlogged
soil. In its native habitat the pawpaw has few pests of any
importance.
NB79 Ralls Janet Fresh Eating Apple Malus pumila
An heirloom apple with a long, Ralls Janet first gained attention in 1800 where it was grown on the farm of Caleb Ralls in Amherst County, Virginia. Medium in size and roundish-oblate in shape, the greenish-yellow skin is flushed, mottled, and streaked with various hues of pink, red and crimson over one-half or more of the surface. Yellow, or russet, and white dots, are conspicuous, and scarfskin may be present on some fruit. The yellowish flesh of this dessert apple has a greenish tinge and is dense, crisp, and tender with a tart-sweet balance of flavor. When cut, the flesh exudes a sweet aroma. Blooms in early May, and this very late flowering assures a crop set. Ralls was one of a number of American seedling varieties imported by the Japanese to establish an apple breeding program. From the cross of Ralls and Red Delicious came Fuji. Ralls is also widely grown in China. It stores particularly well and ripens in Virginia the first week of October. Said to be good for zones 3-8.
FB154 Black Chokeberry Aronia Melanocarpa
Black chokeberry is a deciduous shrub that grows to about 6 feet tall in bogs, swamps,
wet woods and occasionally in dry sandy soil of oak woods and pine barrens. It can
tolerate partial shade, but produces the most flowers and fruit, and the brightest red fall
color, in full sun. Best suited for zones 4-9.
The leaves are up to 8 cm long, with finely serrated edges. The flowers bloom in May
and are white, rounded and with a short claw. The flowers are in loose clusters of 8 to 10
up to 5 cm across.
The fruit, which matures by late August, is round, up to 12 mm across, dark purple to
black, and in drooping clusters on long red stalks. The fruit is technically a “pome”, like
an apple or pear, where the seeds are in a stiff core surrounded by fleshy tissue. The fruit
is sour, even when ripe, so that it persists until midwinter as a “last resort” food source
for songbirds, upland game birds and small mammals.
In northern Europe Aronia is commercially grown for bottled fruit juice. The fruit is
valued for its juice which is very high in anthocyanins, blends well with other fruit juices
and is reputed as a source of "phenols, leucoanthocyanins, catachines, flavonoles, and
flavones" that are considered to be bioactive in humans. In the US it’s growing in
popularity as a landscape shrub since it tolerates both wet and dry soil, is attractive from
spring through fall and resists most diseases and pests.
Z2801 Earth Almond
Cyperus esculentus satuvus
An ornamental perennial growing to 8 ft. that
produces sweet nutty tubers. They are eaten raw, made into a drink or roasted and used as
a coffee substitute. The Zulu chewed them to relieve digestion and cure bad breath. They
are highly thought of as delicacies in Europe.
RHM070 Ceylon Gooseberry Dovyalis
hebecarpa
Shrubby tropical plant to 15' with spines on the stems with
numerous small oval leaves. Produces 1" velvety, purple skinned
tart fruits which are used in jams, jellies. May also be pruned
to size as an attractive ornamental plant. Native to Sri-Lanka.
Can be tub raised.
RHM154 Zizyphus Spinosa
This is the specie most used in Chinese herbalism and is frequently mentioned as a tranquilizing herbal. The 18 tree has hard, heavy wood and spiny branches. The large olive size fruits turn bright red in color and have a sweet/acid flavor. Requires considerable warmth. Ideal for zones 9 -10. Seeds germinate at room temperatures.
SO523 Custard Apple Annona reticulata
A short deciduous tree that produces large fruits with a juicy
sweet taste.
Easily grown container plant,
or zone 10 outside.
Z2803 Sancoya Annona purpurea
Beautiful spreading tree to 30'. Its fruits are very sweet and juicy with an orange color to the pulp. Requires a consistantly warm tropical climate.
Sancoya is an edible fruit and medicinal plant in the Annonaceae family. It is native to Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Its common names include soncoya, ilama, and cabeza de negro. It has hairy leaves and large, strong-scented flowers. The fruit is rounded and 15 to 20 centimeters wide, and is covered with a felt-textured brown skin. The surface of the fruit has hooklike projections. The pulp is similar in scent, appearance, and taste to that of the mango. It has many seeds.
Easily grown container plant, or zone 10 outside.
1A224 Soursop Annona muricata
Attractive tropical tree to 20', leaves shiny green, leathery
and obovate. Grown for its popular fruits weighing up to 6 lb.
The outter skin is covered with short fleshy spines. Widely
cultivated in the tropics. Also used in sherbets and refreshing
drink. Easily grown container plant, or
zone 10 outside.
1A007 Cashew Nut Anacardium
A tropical tree that is famous for it delicious nuts. It is a very fast grower and will reach
40 ft. quickly in warm climates. It is a very handsome tree that can be raised in
greenhouses for its tropical appearance.
2936 Pickle Tree Averrhoa bilimbi
This Carambola relative produces very small pickle-like fruits
which are borne directly on the trunk of the tree and also on
the branches. The fruitation is preceded by small red flowers
on the trunk and branches. Delicate oval leaflets make this
small tree very inviting as an indoor ornamental that would
require warmth and bright light. Can be pruned to desired size;
may be used as bonsai.
Its flowers, like its fruits, are found in hairy panicles that
directly emerge from the trunk as well as from the oldest, most
solid branches. The yellowish or purplish flowers are tiny,
fragrant and have 5 petals. The bilimbi fruit's form ranges
from ellipsoid to almost cylindrical. Its length is 4-10 cm.
The bilimbi is 5-sided, but in a less marked way than the
carambola. At the stem's end, the fruit is capped with a
star-shape calyx. If unripe, it is bright green and crispy. It
turns yellowish as it ripens. The flesh is juicy, green and
acidic. Easily grown container plant, or
zone 10 outside.
BN17 Star Fruit ( Carambola )Averrhoa carambola
The Carambola is a beautiful evergreen tree with delicate small pinnate foliage that is sensitive to light-folding up in low light. Known for its increasingly popular yellow skinned "Star fruit" which is star like in appearance when it is sliced. This tree grows very well indoors with warmth and bright light.
Carambolas are best consumed when ripe, when they are yellow with a light shade of green. It will also have brown ridges at the five edges and feel firm. An overripe fruit will be yellow with brown spots.
The fruit is entirely edible, including the slightly waxy skin. It is sweet without being overwhelming and extremely juicy. The taste is difficult to compare, but it has been likened to a mix of papaya, orange and grapefruit all at once.
Carambola is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C and low in sugar, sodium and acid. It is also a potent source of both primary and secondary polyphenolic antioxidants.
2567 Common Pear Pyrus communis
The well known common pear with large yellow fruit and smooth,
juicy white flesh. Fruit trees need a minimum of 6-8 hours
sunlight daily, and need water. They are not drought tolerant.
For zones 5-8.
D4503 Coffee Plant Coffea Arabica
The world's most important trade crop also makes a wonderful
house plant. The plants have dark shiny-green leaves and white
fragrant flowers. A very ornamental plant. Very unique.
Seed Packet # 1A136
Seed Name: Kona Coffee (Coffee Arabica)
The Kona is the very popular coffee of Hawaii. Its a heavy
bearing variety with excellent quality. Normally it begins to
produce in 4 years. One producing tree can provide 1 lb. of
coffee.
Price per pack: $4.50
Seed Packet # 1A138
Seed Name: Coffea Canephora (Coffee Robusta )
A popular coffee crop, this Coffee is better known as Robusta.
It is shorter than C. arabica with longer leaves. May be grown
indoors in bright light. Height is under 3'.
Price per pack: $1.95
Seed Packet # 1A139
Seed Name: Coffea Racemosa (Coffee Racemosa )
Another commercial Coffee similar to Robusta but with a more
branching, compact habit with a mature height of 4'. A very
prolific coffee of excellent quality. Favored by most
growers.
Price per pack: $1.95
RHM136 Alma Fruit Tree Phyllanthus emblica
Amla has been regarded as a sacred tree in India. The tree was
worshipped as Mother Earth and is believed to nurture humankind
because the fruit are very nourishing. Kartik Mahatma and Vrat
Kaumudi order the worship of this tree. The leaves are offered
to the Lord of Shri Satyanarayana Vrata, Samba on Shri
Shanipradosha Vrata and Shiva and Gowri on Nitya Somvara Vrata.
The fruit and flowers are also used in worship. In Himachal
Pradesh the tree is worshipped in Kartik as propitious and
chaste. Amla tree is commonly planted in compounds of domestic
and office buildings, bunds of agricultural holdings, roadside
avenues, etc. Now many farmers in Haryana have taken to
planting Amla on their farms as a cash crop.
Seed Packet # 1A193
Seed Name: Bengal Coffee (Coffee bengalensis )
An unusual coffee type that does not produce caffeine, but has
a different flavor than the caffeine types and has not caught
on. It is loaded with fragrant flowers in the spring and makes
a wonderful potted plant.
Price per pack: $1.95
2693 Tamarind ( Tamarindus indica )
The tamarind is a large tropical tree with a short massive
trunk, ferny pinnate leaves, small yellow flowers and fat
reddish brown pods. The tree can get 90 ft (27.4 m) tall but is
usually less than 50 ft (15.2 ft). It has a short, stocky
trunk, drooping branches and a domed umbrella shaped crown
about as wide as the tree's height. The leaves are about 10 in
(25.4 cm) long with 10-18 pairs of 1 in (2.5 cm) oblong
leaflets. Tamarind drops its leaves in pronounced dry seasons;
in climates without a dry season it stays evergreen. The
flowers are about 1 in (2.5 cm) across, pale yellow with purple
or red veins. They have five unequal lobes and borne in small
drooping clusters. The velvety cinnamon brown pods are 2-6 in
(5.1-15.2 cm) long, sausage shaped and constricted between the
seeds. The pulp that surrounds the 8-10 seeds is both sweet and
extremely sour.
Tamarinds are grown as ornamental shade and street trees, and
for the edible pods. The pods are fed to livestock, and the
pulp within the pods is used to make beverages, curries,
chutneys and sauces. Tamarind pulp is made into a soft drink
known as refresco de tamarindo in Latin America, and tamarinade
in Jamaica. It's also the basis of a popular drink in the
Middle East. Tamarind is used extensively in Indian and
Southeast Asian cuisine, and is an important ingredient in
Worcestershire sauce. The juice is used to pickle fish in
India. Several medicinal uses of tamarind are reported in
Grieve's A Modern Herbal. The fruit is said to improve
digestion, relieve gas, soothe sore throats, and act as a mild
laxative.
The tamarind tree is a beautiful, fine textured tree and it
makes an excellent shade tree in large landscapes. It often is
planted in public parks and as an avenue tree in tropical
cities. Best for zones 10 and up.
Price per pack: $2.95
2350 Japanese Rasin Tree Hovenia dulcis
Japanese Raisintree can reach 40 to 50 feet in height but is
most often seen at 30 to 35 feet with an open, upright, oval
silhouette. Unfortunately it is a little too big for planting
beneath most power lines. The tree usually maintains a fairly
good central leader with small-diameter main branches. The four
to six-inch-long, glossy green leaves are particularly striking
and create light shade below the trees but they show no
appreciable color change in autumn, dropping while they are
still green. In early summer, the branch-tips of the trees are
festooned with small, two to three-inch-long cymes of
sweetly-fragrant, greenish-white flowers which are quite
attractive to insects. These blooms are followed by the
production of small, fleshy, brown drupes which ripen to bright
red and have a flavor similar to a sweet raisin, giving the
tree its common name. Hardy for zones 6A
through 10A.
E3102 Juneberry, Saskatoon Serviceberry ( Amelanchier
alnifolia )
Low water requirements, grows as high as 10,000 feet. A
deciduous shrub that seldom exceeds 15 feet in height and
occasionally suckering to form a slowly spreading clump. An
easily grown plant, it prefers a rich loamy soil and thrives in
any soil that is not too dry or water-logged. The largest
yields, and best quality fruits, are produced when the plant is
grown in a sunny position, though it should also do reasonably
well in semi-shade. The plants are fairly lime tolerant and
they will also grow well in heavy clay soils. They are very cold-hardy and will tolerate temperatures
down to at least -20°c and probably much lower.
Flowers in Early Spring, these white flowers are produced
before the plants come into leaf, and are usually produced so
abundantly that the whole plant turns white. They look
particularly beautiful at this time. By late June, or more
commonly early to mid July, the plants will usually be carrying
large crops of fruits. These fruits are about 15mm in diameter,
they are soft, sweet and juicy with a taste that reminds us of
apples. Small enough to be eaten without problems, though they
can add a slightly bitter almond-like flavour to the fruit if
they are crushed whilst eating. The fruit can also be cooked in
pies etc., when dried it is quite sweet and can be used in the
same ways as raisins.
D2209 Chinese Hackberry Celtis sinensis
Tree grows to 10m in cultivation. Fruits are rich orange: stone
pitted. A medium growing deciduous tree. Succeeds in any
reasonably good soil, preferring a good fertile well-drained
loamy soil. Succeeds on dry gravels and on sandy soils. Trees
prefer hotter summers and more sunlight than are normal. Trees
can be very long-lived, perhaps to 1000 years. Zones 7-9.
SO456 Japanese Persimmon Diospyros kaki
A very popular fruit tree from the Far East that has gained
popularity in the US. Easy to grow from seeds. Can be raised
inside in tubs in the north and outside in mild climates. The
fruits are large, up to 3" across and sweet. Zones 7-9.
FB101 Date Plum Diospyros lotus
A type of persimmon tree, produces a small fruit with a taste similar to both dates and plums. Known by the ancient Greeks as the fruit of the gods, the date plum is renowned for its sweet taste.
It is a decidious tree that is native to Middle East and South Asia, especially from China and Japan. This tree can reach up to 90 ft (30 m) tall in warm areas, but will generally be smaller. (Up to about 30 ft -10 m- tall) it bears edible small fruits in autumn.
The leaves of the date plum are decidious, and are about up to 4-5 in (10 - 12.5 cm) long.
Flowers - Flowers are small and yellow-green, and are dioecious. At least both a male and female plant will be required to get viable seeds. A pack of 10 seeds will usually produce both male and female plants, can be pollinated by other persimmons.
The date plum is a close relative to the persimon. However, the date plum is a smaller fruit, as it is about 0.75 in (2 cm) wide. It is a globose yellow fruit that turns purple-brown when fully ripe. Like the persimon, the date plum looses its astringency when fully ripe. The flesh is then very soft and rich in flavour.
This tree is frost hardy down to -15°F (-25°C) and less. It can easily be grown in USDA zones 5 and warmer. The date plum needs a fairly well-drained and deep ground.
D2212 Tree Tomato Cyphomandra betacea
Egg shaped reddish-yellow fruit, eaten raw or in jam. An exotic
fruit and plant. Most like to the fruit stewed and served as a
side dish.
D2217 American Persimmon Diospyros
virginiana
A hardy tree that delivers large volumes of fruit at an early
age. Fruits do not ripen until after frost in most areas. A
slice of persimmon pie is a treat to be savored.
D2218 Grape Mahonia Mahonia Evergreen shrub
with tough pinnate leaves. Flowers are yellow in dense terminal
racemes followed by grape like black-blue berries that can be
made into jelly.
D2219 Russian Olive Elaeagnus angustifolia
Although its fruits are used in drinks and to make preserves,
it is more sought after for its white shoots and silver
undersides of leaves.
D2220 Honey Locusts Gleditsia
This tree is cultivated for its golden fern-like foliage. The
pulp is sweet and thus the name. The pods are often fermented
to make beer or to feed to livestock.
D2222 Siberian Crabapple Malus baccata
This tree is grown for both its fruit and its ornamental value.
Fruits are red or yellow and about 1 cm in size. Also called
Flowering Crabapple. Very hardy and easy to grow.
D2225 Russian Mulberrry Tree Morus Alba
This tree is grown for its abundance of fruit as well as its
ornamental value. Its most important use however, is probably
its leaves as a source of food for silkworms.
D2226 Black Mulberry Morus nigra
A heavy fruiter like the Russian Mulberry but is preferred
because it grows only a third as tall and is easier to harvest.
Great pies and wine can be made from the fruit.
D2230 Old Homestead Apple Malus pumila var.
Wrightii
These apple trees have been growing in the south for
generations providing cooking and fresh eating apples. The
apples have a sweet/tart flavor that is unique to their strain.
Excellent for pies. A heavy bearing fruit tree.
2687 Antanovka Apple Malus var. antanovka
Hardy to zone 3. The most popular winter hardy rootstock for
commercial plantings. It also produces a delicious, tart apple,
found in many old rural homestead sites.
2688 Borowinka Rootstock Apple Malus var.
borowinka
Another domestic apple famed for it's rootstock use, it also
produces a good, but tart, edible apple. Hardy to zone 3, grows
in a wide range of soils and climates.
D2249 Carob Tree Ceratonia
An evergreen tree that grows to 50 ft. Grows well in dry soils.
The edible pods can be made into flour, which makes delicious
candies, cakes, pastries and drinks.
1A030 Chinese Jujube Zizyphus jujuba
The tree has a weeping ornamental growth pattern. The fruits
are smooth and round like an apple and can be eaten right off
the tree. Very high in vitamin C. Very fragrant flowers.
2125 Inidan Jujube Zizyphus mauritania
A smaller version of the Chinese Jujube, it needs zone 9 and
higher to produce fruit. A bushy, deciduous tree to 20' with
ovate leaves. It's 1 inch, acidic tasting fruits are used
preserved, dried, pickled, and in confections. Fragrant
flowers.
D2267 Pomegranate Punica
A very decorative ornamental that has a pleasant tasting fruit.
It has vermilion red flowers and small glossy leaves.
D2285 Strawberry Tree Arbutus
A beautiful evergreen tree that is very attractive. The
strawberry shaped fruits make a stimulating wine.
2193 Silver Buffaloberry Sheperdia
argentia
Hardy to Zone 3. Grows to12ft. tall x 6ft.wide. Silver foliage
(similar to Russian olive) offers multiple uses for this hardy
shrub. Small yellowish flowers. Female has bright red fruit
that are edible to people and birds. Note: We recommend
CAPE seed germination primer be used for
these seeds.
2640 Giant Granadilla Passiflora
quadrangularis
The Giant Granadilla forms a larger leaf and is a more vigorous
grower than the yellow passion fruit. This plant derives its
botanical name from the fact that the stems are quad rangular
in cross section. It is a vigorous grower that can grow 50 feet
or more in a single season, for zones 10 and higher, or warm
greenhouses.
Fruit of the giant granadilla reach a length of up to 12 inches
and turn yellow when mature. The pulp around the seeds is used
to flavor ice cream and to make a cooling drink. In addition,
the flesh of this fruit is edible. The green fruit is boiled
and eaten as a vegetable. The fully ripe flesh is eaten alone
or in combination with such fruits as papaya and pineapple.
D2297 Pepino Tree Solanum muricatum
A shrubby plant growing to 3 ft. that produces fruit that
resembles a cream colored egg. The fruit has a slightly sweet
taste, very good for salads or stews.
Filberts
FRD15 American Filbert Corylus americana
Good for Zones 4-9. Multi stemmed, branching shrub to about 10 ft. tall. Attractive,
pointed, toothed, dark green leaves. Bears loads of edible nuts in fall. Native to Eastern
US.
FDR16 European Filbert Corylus avellana
A close relative of our American Hazelnut, this plant produces larger trees and more fruit. It is cold hardy and resistant to most diseases. According to research books, it should start bearing fruit in 3-4 years from seeds. Does well in most soils.
FDR17 Turkish Hazelnut Corylus colurna
Turkish Hazel is a 40 to 50-foot-tall, occasionally
80-foot-tall (in its native habitat), deciduous tree
with a beautiful pyramidal shape, the thick, tan to
grey, short trunk supporting the dense horizontal
branches. Growth rate is usually slow. Like many trees
with horizontal branches, the main limbs are quite
small in diameter in relationship to the typically
straight trunk, and arise at almost a 90-degree angle.
This should make the tree quite durable in urban areas
and helps maintain a symmetrical crown so prized by
landscape architects. The lush, dark green leaves are
five inches long and stay on the tree long into the
fall, finally turning a pale yellow/green before
dropping, but fall color is far from striking.
Inconspicuous female flowers and two to
three-inch-long, attractive male catkins are produced
in early spring and are followed by the production of
clustered fruits which are quite irresistible to
squirrels. On some older trees, the bark becomes ridged
and corky, peeling off in sections to expose the
orange/brown bark beneath. But this characteristic
varies from one tree to the next. Best for zones
5-7.
FDR25 Chinese Hazelnut Corylus chinensis
Very similar to common hazlenut, this one is a bit faster grower. Bears loads of small, sweet nuts.
Pecan Trees
FRD20 Sweet Pecan Carya illinoensis improved
This seed is from grafted parent plants for improved nut
quality. Produceds large quantities of sweet, flavorful nuts.
Hardy for zones 5-9. A medium sized, fast growing pecan tree.
Seed requires 60-90 days cold moist stratification.
Package of 50 seeds $19.50
Hickory Trees
FRD11 Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata
Shagbark hickory is probably the most distinctive of all
the hickories because of its loose-plated bark. Common
names include shellbark hickory, scalybark hickory,
shagbark, and upland hickory. Shagbark hickory is evenly
distributed throughout the Eastern States and, together
with pignut hickory, furnishes the bulk of the commercial
hickory. The tough resilient properties of the wood make it
suitable for products subject to impact and stress. The
sweet nuts, once a staple food for American Indians,
provide food for wildlife. Zones 5-8A.
Package of 50 seeds $19.50
FDR50 Shellbark Hickory Carya lacinosa
The shellbark hickory is a large tree with shaggy gray bark and big compound leaves borne in a cylindrical crown. This uncommon hickory has a narrow, oblong crown and a relatively slender, straight trunk, usually free of branches for more than half its length. Shellbark can reach a height of 120 ft (36.6 m) with a trunk diameter of 3 ft (0.9 m). Twigs are stout and distinctly orange-brown in color.
The bark is broken up into long thick plates which curl outward only slightly at their ends. The deciduous leaves are compound, 15-22 in (38-60 cm) long, with 5-9 (usually 7) leaflets. The fruit is between 2 and 3 in (5-7.6 cm) long, and the orange-brown husk splits open into four sections when ripe. The nut within is flattened, with prominent ridges and a sharp point at the end. Inside the nut's hard thick shell is an edible sweet, oily kernel.
This hickory's "shellbark" grows in thick plates that curl up at the ends and evenntually fall off. Shellbark hickory grows naturally only in the US from western New York through southern Michigan, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas, and south to Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. There are a handful of isolated outlying populations in Louisiana, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, and North Carolina. Shellbark hickory occurs most abundantly in the Ohio and upper Mississippi valleys. This is a tree of the bottomlands and floodplains, often growing where it gets flooded during high water. It sometimes occurs in pure groves, but more often is mixed with other bottomland trees such as red maple, sweetgum and chestnut oak.
Needs full sun. Shellbark hickory tolerates shallow flooding for brief periods in spring. Otherwise it does best on rich, fertile soils with the ability to retain some moisture. Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 - 8.
The shellbark hickory features fine foliage and boasts big edible nuts beloved both by beasts and hungry humans. Shellbark hickory nuts are the largest of all the hickories. They are relished by wildlife, especially bears, squirrels and foxes. People also eat the nuts which can sometimes be found in local markets. The dark brown wood is strong, hard and rigid. It is used for tool handles, especially axes and hammers. It was once one of the most important hickories for its wood, but large areas within its range have been overharvested. Shellbark hickory is an uncommon tree in the wild and in cultivation. It would be suitable for a park, campus or estate.
Walnut Trees
FRD03 English Walnut Juglans regia carp.
Juglans regia (the Common walnut, Persian walnut, or English walnut), is the original walnut tree of the Old World. It is native in a region stretching from the Balkans eastward to the Himalayas and southwest China.
The bark is smooth, olive-brown when young and silvery-grey on older branches, with scattered broad fissures with a rougher texture. Like all walnuts, the pith of the twigs contains air spaces, the chambered pith brownish in colour. The leaves are alternately arranged, 25-40 cm long, odd-pinnate with 5–9 leaflets, paired alternately with one terminal leaflet. The largest leaflets the three at the apex, 10–18 cm long and 6–8 cm broad; the basal pair of leaflets much smaller, 5–8 cm long, the margins of the leaflets entire. The male flowers are in drooping catkins 5–10 cm long, the female flowers terminal, in clusters of two to five, ripening in the autumn into a fruit with a green, semi-fleshy husk and a brown corrugated nut. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in autumn; the seed is large, with a relatively thin shell, and edible, with a rich flavour.
Good for zones 3-7.
FRD08 Black Walnut Juglans nigra
One of the most popular nut trees in the US. It is
abundant in hedgerows and oldfields, as well as river
bottoms and coves. In the open, walnut has a short main
stem with a broad crown. With even moderate competition,
walnut forms a tall, stately tree. On poor sites, walnut
will become established and persist, but will not become
a canopy tree and is eventually snuffed out by
competition.
Black walnut produces seed crops every year, and heavy
seed crops intermittently. Seeds are highly sought by
squirrels, which cache seeds by burying them. Germination
occurs the following year. Seeds can form a long-term
seed bank. Black walnut is intolerant and grows
moderately fast. First reproduction may occur by ten
years. Few walnuts live longer than 200 years, though a
few persist for up to 250 years. Stems are usually short
and forked unless grown with competition.
Walnut seeds are an important food item for grey
squirrels. Walnut leaves are host to a number of insects
and diseases, which cause the leaves to drop in late
summer. Black walnut is famous for its allelopathic
inhibition of the growth of nearby plants. Despite this,
the effect is not commonly observed in the field.
Black walnut is the premier hardwood species in North
America, and one of the most valuable woods in the world.
Supplies of quality walnut are declining, as a result of
overharvesting. Attempts to grow walnut in plantations
for fine wood production have met with limited succcess.
Walnut wood is dark and hard, but workable, with fine
grain. It is prized for gunstocks, furniture and face
veneer. The nuts are collected throughout the midwest,
and are used in baking and ice cream making.
Native Americans and European settlers prized the rich
nuts. Native Americans harvested the buttery fat left
from boiling the nuts, which may be up to 60% fat.
Cherokees dried the nuts for winter use, and made
porridge from ground nuts mixed with hominy and beans.
Iroquois made beverages, soups, breads, pies and puddings
from the nuts. Native Americans of many tribes also made
dye from fruit husks, roots, barks and charred wood, and
used many parts for drugs. Hardy to zone 4.
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