By Dennis Hinkamp One of the most beautiful trees is the walnut, Says Jerry Goodspeed, Utah State University Extension horticulturist. A walk through a mature walnut grove gives me a feeling of reverence, a little like an old European cathedral. Several types of walnuts can grow in the Intermountain area, he says.
Mature trees produce an abundance of large, flavorful nuts.
Although there are many varieties of English walnuts, most grown in Utah are not named varieties, but simply seedling trees called Carpathian English walnuts, Goodspeed explains. Carpathian walnuts originated in the Carpathian Mountains of Eastern Europe and are the hardiest of the English walnuts. There are a few differences between English and black. The black walnut has a dark colored bark and the English is light. The black has a hardy, tolerant root system, while the English is less sturdy and more susceptible to root rot.