Heartnut Nuts-Ecos Selections

currently unavailable Heartnut represents a large group of both subspecies and hybrids found throughout central Asia and Japan. The trees have been cultivated for its suture-less nuts that come out in halves and wholes when cracked. It is loved for its buttery flavored nuts similar in many ways to butternut. The nuts hang in long clusters and usually drop free of the husk just like English walnut. The varietal selections found today are small in number but are sought after as the tree itself does not come true to type unless grown with other 'pure' heartnuts. I was fortunate that when I was growing heartnuts for the mail order trade I purchased many hundreds of pounds of these nuts from a collector that had access to the Gellatly farm in British Columbia. These provided a basis for my small plantings as well as to make selections. I also was able to grow seedlings from 'New Era' from Iowa and others. Since my plantings were small, some very good and highly productive seedlings popped out of the population. Unfortunately heartnut on its own never fruits due to butternut curculio. They fruited a couple of times, but since the damage from this insect ruins the fruiting wood, it is impossible to grow unless I address this insect. It is not a walnut to use unless there is a means to solve this problem. I did try cultural practices including mint plantings underneath and around the trees and there was some small success, but the insect came back strong and is currently established at my farm in heartnuts, english walnuts, buartnuts, and butternuts.

It is with the intention of finding a fix for this problem in 2022-23 seasons that I will have nuts and scions again. A few selections were made due to their upright-opposite of most heartnuts-growth habit or fast growth but with the insect damage this has set them back.