Nut trees in commercial production are almond, chestnut, hazelnut (filbert), pecan, pistachio, and Persian (English, Carpathian) walnut. Those that have not yet been commercially developed are black walnut, butternut, heartnut, hican, and hickory.
The almond is a close relative of the peach. It is generally not well-adapted to Central Texas. It has major problems with brown rot, and shows nutritional deficiencies of iron and zinc in alkaline soils. 1
Almonds are eaten as a nut, but the required cultural practices and tree appearance are essentially the same as peaches. Almonds are generally poorly adapted to Texas because they bloom too early in the spring and encounter freeze problems. No varieties are highly recommended because of general failure to set crops. 2
There is a native Texas Almond (Prunus minutiflora Engelm.) that might be worth some investigation.
Shagbark Hickory is not native to Central Texas. Shagbark Hickory is probably the primary species, after Pecan, with the potential for commercial nut production. The nuts have sweet kernels and fair cracking quality (which is often better in cultivars). 1
The pecan is one of the best growing native nut tree for Central Texas. It is recommended to have both an early-pollen-shedding and a late-pollen-shedding variety in your landscape for fertilization. (ag)
An early-pollen-shedding variety. Caddo has strong limbs, scab resistance, early ripening and attractive foliage. The nuts are small but of high quality. Trees bear in 5 to 6 years and bear well annually. 63 nuts/lb; 57 percent kernel. (ag)
Small pecan of excellent quality. Extremely good disease resistance. Productive at 6 years and regularly thereafter. (ns)
Recommended by ag, mg, og, ns
An early-pollen-shedding variety. Cheyenne is very productive, smaller tree which begins to bear a high quality nut in only 5 to 7 years. It is particularly susceptible to aphids. 51 nuts/lb; 57 percent kernel. (ag) Medium-sized pecans, trees productive at early age, generally after 5 years. Trees are comparatively small at maturity. Good disease resistance, but prone to aphids. Good kernel quality. (ns)
Recommended by ag, mg, og, ns
An early-pollen-shedding variety. Desirable is an outstanding variet for the humid areas of east and south Texas and also produces well in central Texas. The tree grows fast but requires at least 8 to 10 years to bear 15 pounds of pecans. It has weak "V" limb angles which require training and its foliage is light green rather than a more attractive dark color. Scab resistance is moderate and can be controlled with fungicide sprays. Desirable is not an exceptionally heavy bearer, but as an older tree it is the most regular producer of crops of high quality pecans. 39 Nuts/lb; 54 percent kernel. (ag) Very old commercial variety that still ranks high. Large pecans, of very good quality. Bears almost every year. Disease-resistant and somewhat weak-wooded in winds and ice. Foliage is medium green. (ns)
Recommended by ag, mg, og, ns
A late-pollen-shedding variety. Choctaw is a good yard tree because of its beautiful foliage, scab resistance and high yields of large, high quality pecans. Unfortunately, Choctaw requires the very best soil and management, otherwise it will fail. 38 nuts/lb; 59 percent kernel. (ag) Large pecans, outstanding quality. Tree is vigorous, dark green, and disease-resistant, making it a good landscape tree. Thin shell with attractive very high quality kernels. (ns)
Recommended by ag, mg, og, ns
A late-pollen-shedding variety. Kiowa is a newer variety that has good limb structure, attractive foliage and large nuts. It begins to bear at about 6 years of age and bears good crops, but nut quality has been inconsistent. 39 nuts/lb; 57 percent kernel. (ag) Large pecan, good quality. Attractive yard tree. Productive at early age, good disease resistance. (ns)
Recommended by ag, mg, og, ns
Botanical Name: Juglans nigra (Eastern Black Walnut)
Botanical Name: Juglans microcarpa (Texas Black Walnut)
From Wikipedia:
The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the Black Walnut is difficult. The shell is covered by a thick husk that exudes a dark, staining, strong-smelling juice. The shell itself is so strong that it is sometimes used to strengthen car tires. The shell often protrudes into the meat, so whole kernels are often not obtainable.
The husk is best removed when green, as the nuts taste better if it is removed then. Rolling the nut underfoot on a hard surface such as a driveway is a common method; commercial huskers use a car tire rotating against a metal mesh. Some take a thick plywood board and drill a nut sized hole in it (from one to two inches in diameter) and smash the nut through using a hammer. The nut goes through and the husk remains behind. To keep the husk juices from splattering, a board or canvas scrap may be used to cover the nut before hammering.
Before eating or storage, the nuts should be cured in a dry place for at least two weeks. Before cracking, the unshelled nuts may be soaked in hot water for 24 hours in order to soften the shells, but with a proper cracker this is not necessary. While the flavor is prized, the difficulty in preparing the Black Walnut may account for the wider popularity and availability of the Persian Walnut (in the United States misnamed the English Walnut).
The Black Walnut is native to Central Texas.
From Texas Walnuts:
The need for an outstanding variety with "Walnut Blight" resistance has long been appreciated by Dr. Shreve. He traveled to Hungary and Romania in 1979 and collected several promising cultivars which were evaluated at the TAMU Center at Uvalde. The best cultivars to date are Reda, Geoagiu 86, Orastie, Germisara, and Geoagiu 3 X 4 X 453. Under Texas conditions, these cultivars appear to be superior to the standard commercial varieties Payne, Eureka, Hartley, and Broadview.
General walnut cultural practices are very similar to that of the pecan and it is recommended that they be followed. For specific information on walnut care contact Dr. Larry A. Stein, Extension Horticulturist, P.O. Box 1849, Uvalde, TX 78802-1849. (ag)