Walnut - Juglans regia

The English Walnut (Juglans regia) is the most common and widely distributed walnut tree species in Europe. In Spanish the Walnut tree is called "Nogal" and the Walnut fruit is called "Nuez". This tree is highly valued both for its popular nuts and for its high quality wood although the most sought after Walnut wood comes from the "Juglans nigra L." (Black Walnut) which is a close relative.

Looking at these pictures of the Walnut fruit it is hard to imagine that on the inside it contains the wrinkled, light brown, Walnut that we are used to seeing in the grocery store or market. I visited this tree a few years ago when the ripe Walnuts were falling. The round green ball that you see above turns brown and shrivels up a bit before it falls. To get the nut you collect the fallen fruit and remove the outer husk which comes off pretty easily. At that point what you have is the hard shell that we are familiar with which needs to be open with a nutcracker.
The images above and below are of the male flower of the English Walnut tree.


The Common Walnut (sometimes called Persian or English Walnut as well) has oblong leaflets that are about six inches in length and are arranged odd-pinnately compound on the stem. The venation is also pinnate and the leaf has entire margins.

One distinctive of the Walnut tree is its deeply furrowed bark.

The Pecan tree - Carya illinoinensis

The Pecan tree (Carya illinoinensis) is native to North America. The pictures in this post are from a tree in the “Jardin Botanico-Historico, La Concepción” in Malaga, Spain. This tree species was brought to Europe by the Spanish explorer “Cabeza de Vaca” in the 16^th century.

This tree is the source of Pecan nuts which along with Pistachios are my favorite nuts. I am particularly fond of fresh home-made Pecan pie. My mother used to make one for me on my birthday.
So you can image my delight when I found a Pecan tree with the nuts fully formed and ready for picking. I had always wanted to know what the tree was like and what the nut looked like before it is picked.
These images illustrate what the nut looks like on the tree and also when they are opened. They are good eating raw or roasted.

Almond tree - Prunus dulcis

The Almond trees (Prunus dulcis) are in bloom in the hills above Malaga right now. Yesterday I talked to a man who grew up here and he said that this was the earliest that the Almonds have ever bloomed. I´m note sure when the Almonds have blossomed in the past but January 26th does seem rather early. I wonder if the fact that we have been having an unusually warm month has anything to do with it.

Dates aside, the Almonds are very beautiful when they are in bloom. Their blossoms are a light shade of pink that makes an interesting contrast with the dark brown, almost black bark color of the tree.
There are a lot of Almond trees around Malaga. A few days ago while driving back from Granada I saw whole hillsides of Almond trees in full color. Makes for a very attractive landscape.
When the Almond fruit grows to maturity it becomes a green seed pod with soft, velvet like exterior. As it ripens this turns dark brown and eventually peels off revealing the hard shell of the Almond beneath.