English walnuts in their green husks on the tree

Ultra Northern English Walnut (Bundle of 2)

$119.99

Reliable shipping

Flexible returns

Pollination Plant two or more

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

See trees that will pollenize it

Ripening

Will it finish before your first hard freeze?

Check it on the Ripening Map (opens in a new tab)

At a glance: Ultra Northern English Walnut is a walnut tree rated hardy to zone 4 in our ratings (winters to -30°F), and wind-pollinated with staggered male and female bloom, so plant two different trees.

Hardy to	Zone 4 to 7. A bare number means the whole of zone 4, colder half included (winters to -30°F). Find your zone with our cold hardiness calculator.
Pollination	Heterodichogamous - Plant Two Different Trees. Bloom group 4 of 7 (mid), late spring to early summer here. English walnuts are wind-pollinated and not reliable alone, so plant both trees together, and adding a Purvis English walnut gives more pollen at the right time. Two seedlings usually work; two grafts of the same tree would not help each other. Good partners we carry: Purvis English Walnut Seedling (Bundle of 2), Purvis Hardy English Walnut (Bundle of 2), Buartblack Walnut (Bundle of 2), Black Walnut (Bundle of 3). Bloom group is our estimate from the variety's origin and relatives. Walnut & Heartnut Pollination Chart.
Good for	Pies and baking (7/10), edible nuts (7/10). Scores are our own 1 to 10 ratings; 8 and up makes our Best Of lists.
Deer	A deer favorite. Fence it or cage it.
What you get	Bare root, 3-5 ft. Shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring, roots wrapped in moist sawdust. Guaranteed to bud out.

Overview

These English Walnuts come from a Carpathian English Walnut mother tree that has been growing and producing nuts prolifically for nearly 30 years in a windy, exposed Zone 5 site. After nearly eight years of trial and error growing English walnuts in Montana, with many failures along the way, these genetics stand out as the most promising we have found for northern conditions.

Background & Selection

We have tested multiple English walnut sources over the years, including Carpathian English Walnut seedlings from Lawyer’s Nursery and Idaho Carpathian English Walnuts, none of which survived in our trials. Based on long-term observation, these walnuts appear to be the best candidates we have encountered for Montana and other northern growing regions. Not suitable for zone 3, however.

Flavor & Nut Quality

In a taste test conducted in Fall 2023, Luke and Elizabeth described the nuts as “sweet, creamy, pleasant, and not bitter. Buttery and earthy. Light. Wonderful flavor.”

Cold Hardiness

These English Walnuts are hardy to Zone 5a and may be suitable for colder sites approaching Zone 4b or even 4a with careful siting. They have done well in Missoula, which we would argue that since Missoula can approach -30F (especially in the area where frost settles), that according to our modified hardiness scale, would be a zone 4a.

Pollination

For best nut production, plant these trees together to improve pollination.

Tree Size & Availability

Trees are offered in three different bare-root size classes.

Questions we get about Ultra Northern English Walnut

How cold hardy is Ultra Northern English Walnut?

We rate Ultra Northern English Walnut hardy to zone 4, which means winters down to about -30°F. Our ratings come from real winters at our two Montana sites and from trusted growers across the North, not from a catalog average.

What is Ultra Northern English Walnut good for?

Our top use scores for Ultra Northern English Walnut are pies and baking (7/10), edible nuts (7/10).

Will deer eat Ultra Northern English Walnut?

Yes, deer love it. Protect Ultra Northern English Walnut with a fence or a cage, especially while it is young.

What arrives, and when does Ultra Northern English Walnut ship?

A dormant bare-root plant, roots wrapped in moist sawdust with a vapor barrier, shipped or picked up in Missoula in spring. Sizes offered: 3-5 ft. We guarantee our plants bud out. Stone fruits can be slow, so if one still has not budded out by August 15, write to us and we credit you for the following spring.

Pollination partners

Trees that will pollenize Ultra Northern English Walnut

English walnuts are wind-pollinated and not reliable alone, so plant both trees together, and adding a Purvis English walnut gives more pollen at the right time. Two seedlings usually work; two grafts of the same tree would not help each other.

Bloom group 4 of 7 (Mid)

Pollination Plant two or more

Pollen Good pollenizer

5 trees we carry will pollenize it. 2 in stock now.