treenuts.ca Promoting the growing of tree nuts in Canada, and their use.

Email acorn@treenuts.ca

---

Tree Nut Species, Varieties & Cultivars for Canada

The listing 'Nut Species, Varieties and Cultivars for Canada' of over sixty entries began in the late 1970's from the nut and nutlet trees and shrubs in Canada's Dominion Arboretum in Ottawa, managed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, a federal government department. The Dominion Arboretum was begun in the 1880's, and continues today. Canada has some native nut bearing plants, but many planted today are exotics. Nuts have always been important here, the Amerindians making use of most native species, and expanding the plants' natural ranges over centuries at least and maybe over millenia. We are continually updating the list, which now has over one hundred entries with the prospect of still more to be added. New native species are still being discovered, the Bear Oak (Quercus illicifolia) being the latest, in the early 1990s.	Besides our own work, other research is underway on many species, conducted by the Society of Ontario Nut Growers (SONG), its Eastern Chapter (ECSONG) which operates in the Eastern Ontario region, and individual members of both organizations. Check for Canadian tree nut varieties and cultivars from Grimonut Nursery and the Rhora Nut Farm and Nursery. The Gellatly Nut Farm in Westbank, British Columbia, which was the first breeder to originate uniquely Canadian tree nut varieties and cultivars, is now a heritage site. Besides the Dominion Arboretum, there are a number of other public and private Arboreta in Canada with nut plants to show.
Join our hunt for mature, bearing nut trees, intown and out, across Canada, and treenut harvesting, on Canada Nutist facebook...

---

On this present list, the Horsechestnut family, Hippocastanaceae, is represented by 10 species, varieties and cultivars, all in the single genus Aesculus.

Genus Species Common Names Family Aesculus glabra Ohio Buckeye Hippocastanaceae Horsechestnut Family glabra var.monticola Ohio Buckeye, Fetid Buckeye hippocastanum Horsechestnut hippocastanum'Baumanii' Baumann Horsechestnut hybrida Hybrid Horsechestnut octandra Sweet Buckeye, Yellow Buckeye, Big Buckeye octandra f.vestita Carolina Yellow Buckeye parviflora Bottlebrush Buckeye sylvatica Painted Buckeye carnea (hippocastanum x pavia) Red Horsechestnut

---

The Birch family, Betulaceae, is represented by 10 species, varieties and cultivars. The American Hornbeam produces a nutlet. The remainder are all hazels (aka filberts), one of the most popular of nuts.

Genus Species Common Names Family Carpinus caroliniana American Hornbeam Betulaceae Birch Family Corylus americana American Hazel avellana European Hazel chinensis Chinese Hazel colurna Turkish Hazel cornuta Beaked Hazel ferox Himalayan Hazel heterophylla Siberian Hazel sieboldiana Japanese Hazel sieboldiana var. mandschurica Manchurian Hazel tibetia Tibetan Hazel

---

The Walnut family, Juglandaceae, is represented by 8 hickories, and 12 walnuts in two genera. As well as producing flavourful kernels, this family is a source of syrup, sugar, dyes, stains and valuable nutshell products.

Genus Species Common Names Family Carya cordiformis Bitternut Hickory Juglandaceae Walnut Family glabra Pignut Hickory illinoensis Pecan laciniosa Shellbark Hickory ovata Shagbark Hickory sinensis Chinese Hickory ovalis Red Hickory tomentosa Mockernut Hickory Juglans ailantifolia Japanese Walnut ailantifolia var. cordiformis Heartnut cathayensis Chinese Walnut cinerea Butternut buartnut Butternut x Heartnut intermedia var.vilmoriniana Vilmorins Walnut mandshurica Siberian Walnut microcarpa Little Walnut, Texas Walnut, Nogal nigra Black Walnut regia Persian, English Walnut regia var. carpathian Carpathian Walnut stenocarpa Manchurian Walnut Pterocarya fraxinifolia Caucasian walnut

---

The Beech family, Fagaceae, is represented by 4 chestnuts, 4 beeches and 13 oaks. The chestnuts and oaks produce the best fruit, though acorns are not in vogue in North America much these days. The beeches produce small nuts, often sparsely, except where summers air is often misty and foggy.

Genus Species Common Names Family Castanea crenata Japanese Chestnut Fagaceae Beech family dentata American Chestnut mollisima Chinese Chestnut sativa European Chestnut Fagus grandifolia American Beech sylvatica European Beech sylvatica 'purpurea' Purple European Beech Quercus alba White Oak alba X bebbiana Bebbs Oak bicolor Swamp White Oak borealis Northern Red Oak illicifolia Bear Oak macrocarpa Bur Oak muehlenburghii Chinkapin Oak palustris Pin Oak prinus Chestnut Oak robur English Oak rubra Red Oak rubra 'Maxima' Maxima Oak rubra 'Aurea' Golden Oak

---

The Ginkgo family, Ginkgoaceae,has only one species, biloba. A Ginkgo tree is either a male or a female. Though the freshly fallen fruit smell like vomit, they are easily cleaned, and the nuts are delightful. An Asiatic tree, now widely planted in southern Canada, the fruit may gain favour over time.

Genus Species Common Names Family Ginkgo biloba Maidenhair Tree, Gingko Ginkgoaceae Ginkgo Family

---

The Elm family, Ulmaceae, offers the genus Celtis, whose species produce a nutlet. The whole nut with its outer husk is sweet. It is easily ground into meal, and cooked in various ways, as was done by native peoples.

Genus Species Common Names Family Celtis glabrata Caucasian Hackberry Ulmaceae Elm Family laevigata (mississippiensis) Mississippi Sugarberry occidentalis Common Hackberry reticulata Netleaf Hackberry sinensis Chinese Hackberry spinosa Spiny Hackberry tournefortii Oriental Hackberry

---

The Pine family, Pinaceae, offers a number of nut or stone pines. This list only offers 5 exotics, though future research may show that the native species may be grown more widely than just in the western mountains.

Genus Species Common Names Family Pinus cembra Swiss Stone Pine Pinaceae Pine Family cembra var. sibirica Siberian Stone Pine koraiensis Korean Nut Pine pumila Japanese Stone Pine peuce Balkan Pine albicaulis Whitebark Pine flexilis Limber Pine

---

The Rose family, Rosaceae, has few species to offer - here are two almonds that might prove fruitful.

Genus Species Common Names Family Prunus amygdalis Almond Rosaceae Rose Family armeniaca Sweet Kernel Apricot

---

Canada Nutculture Association, Ottawa, Canada: "Progress through Research & Development"