Whether you’re a small backyard grower or a more established farm, adding nut trees to your space can be a very smart choice. Nut trees produce a wide variety of delicious nuts for snacking and cooking and they’re fun to grow too. But nut trees are also one of the most valuable crops to try if you want to make money selling your garden’s produce.
In this article, we’ll explore the top nut trees to plant in your garden. These nut trees vary in how difficult they are to grow and some species grow quite large, so they’re not appropriate for all garden spaces. However, we’ve included some dwarf nut trees too for smaller gardens or for anyone who isn’t sure if they want to commit to a large nut orchard any time soon!
Jump to:
- 13 best nut trees to grow in your backyard
- 1. Almond (Prunus dulcis)
- 2. Hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
- 3. Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)
- 4. Pecan (Carya illinnoinensis)
- 5. Pistachio (Pistacia vera)
- 6. Hickory (Carya ovata)
- 7. Macadamia (Macadamia tetraphylla)
- 8. Walnut (Juglans regia)
- 9. Pine nut (Pinus spp.)
- 10. Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
- 11. Chinquapin (Castanea pumila)
- 12. Bladdernuts (Staphylea spp.)
- 13. Cashews (Anacardium occidentale)
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
13 best nut trees to grow in your backyard
Below are our top 13 best nut trees to grow in your home garden. Depending on your available gardening space, not all of these trees may be suitable for your yard, but we’ve tried to include a wide range of trees to fit any garden.
Before getting started with nut tree growing, just keep in mind that most nut trees will produce more nuts the more they’re watered. Since some nut trees on this list are already water-loving species, they may require a fair amount of water to keep them looking their best. Adding a drip irrigation system to support your nut trees is a wise choice that will simplify your gardening – especially if you intend to grow a number of trees.
1. Almond (Prunus dulcis)
| Tree name: | Almond |
| Growing zone: | Zones 5 to 9 |
| Watering requirements: | High |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Sweet almond, Russian almond |
One of the most popular nut types around, there are several different almond trees that produce edible nuts; however, sweet almonds are the nut most people are familiar with.
Native to the Middle East, almond trees have relatively high watering needs and prefer a spot with plenty of bright sun. For best results, choose a location with rich, loamy but well-draining soil and plant at least two trees to increase your harvest yields. When mature, almond trees usually reach about 35’ in height, but planting trees in containers will keep them more compact.
For more almond varieties, check out the Russian almond (Prunus tenella), which has a more bitter-tasting nut.
2. Hazelnut (Corylus avellana)
| Tree name: | Hazelnut |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 9 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun to part shade |
| Popular varieties to try: | European hazelnut, giant filbert, American hazelnut |
European hazelnut trees are reliable producers and hardy trees that are a treat to grow. Growing up to 20’ high, hazelnuts produce an abundance of nuts in September to October, but you’ll need to act fast. These tasty nuts are great at attracting wildlife and very popular with squirrels and other woodland critters!
Naturally found in forests, hazelnuts do best when grown in full sun to part shade and prefer gently sloping hillsides to prevent waterlogged soils.
Native to Europe and Asia, hazelnuts adapt well to colder areas and can grow in spots as cool as zone 4. Once harvested, nuts can be eaten raw or roasted.
If you like hazelnuts, other options to try are the giant filbert tree (Corylus maxima) and the American hazelnut (Corylus americana).
3. Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea)
| Tree name: | Peanuts |
| Growing zone: | Zones 6 to 11 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Virginia peanut, Spanish peanut, Valencia peanut, Runner peanut |
Peanuts are neither true nuts nor trees, but no guide on the best nuts to grow in your garden would be complete without mentioning the humble peanut.
Peanuts, also known as groundnuts, are actually members of the legume family. Peanuts grow underground as part of the plant’s root system. As a legume plant, peanuts are excellent at nitrogen-fixing too, making them a good plant to keep in your garden’s crop rotation as they can help to improve garden soil.
Classically, peanuts are eaten salted and roasted, but they can also be eaten raw, fried or boiled too. Plants produce feathery and rounded leaves and delightful yellow to orange flowers, making them not just tasty, but pretty plants to grow too!
4. Pecan (Carya illinnoinensis)
| Tree name: | Pecan |
| Growing zone: | Zones 5 to 9 |
| Watering requirements: | High |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Elliott pecan, Lakota pecan, Kanza pecan |
Pecans make addictive snacking foods, but there’s nothing like a homemade pecan pie to inspire you to grow these mouth-watering nuts. Prized for their buttery flavor, pecans are one of the most valuable cultivated plants in North America.
A warm-weather loving species, pecans are hardy to zone 5, but they grow best in regions with hot summers. Native to North America and Mexico, pecans are actually a variety of hickory tree that’s mostly found in the Mississippi valley.
5. Pistachio (Pistacia vera)
| Tree name: | Pistachio |
| Growing zone: | Zones 8 to 10 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Kerman pistachio, Golden hills pistachio, Tejon pistachio |
Warm weather-loving pistachios are hardy to zone 8, so they’re not the best choice if you live in a region with cold winters. But if your climate is on the milder side, give them a try.
A slow-growing tree, when mature, pistachio trees will reach about 20 to 30’ in height. This tree is also dioecious, which means that you need to grow both male and female trees to produce any nuts.
Preferring growing locations with long, hot summers, pistachio trees are more drought-tolerant than some of the other plants on this list. Once harvested, nuts can be eaten raw or roasted and make an excellent snacking food.
6. Hickory (Carya ovata)
| Tree name: | Hickory |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 8 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun to part shade |
| Popular varieties to try: | Southern shagbark hickory, Bitternut hickory, Pignut hickory, Mockernut hickory |
Shagbark hickory trees are common sights in North American woodlands, easily recognizable by their thick bark that peels away from the tree’s trunk in large, shaggy pieces. Hickory wood is of a fine quality and frequently used in construction, as fuel and for making charcoal.
Hickory nuts are also edible and one of the most important nut types grown in the United States. Nuts can be eaten raw or cooked and have a sweet, nutty flavor. The tree’s sap is often commonly harvested and cooked down to create a fine, sugary syrup as well.
7. Macadamia (Macadamia tetraphylla)
| Tree name: | Macadamia |
| Growing zone: | Zones 9 to 11 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Smooth-shelled macadamia, rough-shelled macadamia |
Macadamia nuts are creamy and rounded and absolutely scrumptious in desserts and candies. They are also a great nut to try growing if you live in a warmer location.
A tropical species, macadamia nuts are native to Australia, but they can grow in warmer locations in the United States and Europe. Growing up to 40’ high, dwarf varieties are available too, which makes harvesting nuts much easier for backyard growers.
More drought-tolerant than many other nut trees, macadamia trees may not be the most obvious tree to try, but they are a fun one!
8. Walnut (Juglans regia)
| Tree name: | Walnut |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 9, but varies depending on variety |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | European walnut, black walnut, white walnut |
European walnut trees are gorgeous, Old World trees that are perfect for cooler climates. A moderate grower, walnuts grow to about 40 to 60’ high, but dwarf varieties are available for backyard gardens.
If you choose to grow this tree, keep in mind that it has an inhibitory effect on nearby plants. That’s because walnut trees release a compound known as juglone that prevents other plants from growing. This reduces competition for growing walnut trees, but it can wreak havoc in small gardens.
Unlike some other nut trees, walnuts are self-fertile and pollinated by the wind, so you can grow just one tree and still produce an abundant harvest.
If European walnuts aren’t for you, black walnuts (Juglans nigra) and white walnuts (Juglans cinerea), otherwise known as butternuts, are other wonderful nut-bearing trees. They’re even more cold resistant too!
9. Pine nut (Pinus spp.)
| Tree name: | Pine nut |
| Growing zone: | Zones 1 to 10 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Siberian pine, Swiss pine, Colorado pinyon, Korean pine |
Many different pine trees produce edible pine nuts. Depending on the species you choose, these pine trees will have different growing requirements, but in general they prefer full sun and moderate watering.
Some of the best pine species to grow for pine nuts include:
- Siberian pine
- Swiss pine
- Colorado pinyon
- Korean pine
Korean pines are the recommended species to try in colder climates as they reliably produce larger nuts.
While pine nuts are a less commonly eaten nut than other varieties, they are an important addition to many favorite recipes, like pesto.
10. Chestnut (Castanea sativa)
| Tree name: | Chestnut |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 9 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | Sweet chestnut, American chestnut, Chinese chestnut, Japanese chestnut |
American chestnuts (Castanea dentata) where once considered to be one of the most important tree types in America. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, the chestnut blight devastated chestnuts trees, so it can be hard to find true American chestnuts.
Instead, other chestnuts varieties tend to be easier to locate today, with the sweet chestnut being one of the most common. These chestnuts are the ones roasted in open-air markets in Europe and sung about in holiday tunes.
One of the largest species of chestnuts around, sweet chestnuts can grow up to 95’ high and produce a very large harvest of nuts in autumn.
11. Chinquapin (Castanea pumila)
| Tree name: | Chinquapin |
| Growing zone: | Zones 6 to 10 |
| Watering requirements: | Low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | N/A |
A lesser known nut tree, chinquapins are actually another type of chestnut and are sometimes referred to as the dwarf chestnut. Native to North America, this tree bears nuts encased in a spiky shell. Nuts are delicious eaten raw or roasted, but they are smaller than many other chestnuts, so you’ll need to eat more of them.
Growing up to 46’ high, chinquapins are resistant to the chestnut blight that killed many of the American chestnuts, making them a wise choice to grow if you live in the United States or Canada.
12. Bladdernuts (Staphylea spp.)
| Tree name: | Bladdernuts |
| Growing zone: | Zones 4 to 7 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | American bladdernut, European bladdernut |
Another less commonly grown nut tree, there are two common types of bladdernut trees: American bladdernuts (Staphylea trifolia) and European bladdernuts (Staphylea pinnata).
A compact tree or small shrub, both species grow to about 15’ high and can tolerate a range of soil types. However, these trees don’t appreciate dry soil, so be sure to provide them with regular and consistent watering
Bladdernuts make for fine snacking when eaten raw or cooked and are said to taste a bit like pistachios.
13. Cashews (Anacardium occidentale)
| Tree name: | Cashews |
| Growing zone: | Zones 10 to 11 |
| Watering requirements: | Moderate to low |
| Lighting requirements: | Full sun |
| Popular varieties to try: | N/A |
Cashew trees grow in semi-tropical to tropical areas where frost doesn’t occur. These heat loving plants prefer semi-arid locations and don’t need as much water as some other nut-bearing trees.
A relative of poison ivy and poison sumac, cashew trees contain toxins that are potentially quite irritating, especially to sensitive individuals. For this reason, care should be taken when handling raw cashew nuts.
Intriguingly, cashew nuts aren’t the only thing harvested from cashew trees. These trees also produce an edible fruit, but it doesn’t have a long shelf life so it is rarely seen in grocery stores.
When fully mature, cashew trees grow to about 45’ high; however, there are dwarf varieties available for smaller spaces.
Frequently asked questions
Hazelnuts are some of the easiest trees to grow as they are quite adaptable. Choosing nut trees with low watering requirements can also cut down on their maintenance too.
Different trees grow at different rates, so if you’re in hurry to start harvesting nuts quickly, it’s important to start off with sapling trees. Saplings will produce nuts faster, sometimes in as little as 5 years after planting, depending on the species.
Macadamia nuts are some of the fastest growing nut trees and can produce nuts about 7 years after planting.
You may be able to grow trees from store bought nuts, but if you want to go this route, be sure to choose raw nuts (not roasted ones). Some nut types also require cold stratification to germinate and trees started this way will take longer to begin producing nuts than trees grown from saplings.
Summary
Growing nut trees at home may not be every gardener’s first thought when planning out their gardens, but it can be rewarding. Depending on the type of nut tree you choose to grow, you can produce an impressive amount of delicious nuts in even a small garden. As one of the most lucrative crops to grow in your backyard, growing nut trees at home is a smart decision, as well as a fun one!
If you liked this article, check out our piece on making acorn flour from foraged acorns here.
Leave a Reply