Vina Walnut (Juglans regia 'Vina') is a compact, early-leafing English walnut variety bred by the University of California and released in 1978. Vina’s smaller tree size and upright habit make it especially suited to smaller orchards or home gardens. It is an early bearer and prolific cropper, with reliable productivity even in slightly warmer regions with lower chill hours.
Check out the book Just Nuts for practical, down-to-earth growing advice tailored to Australian conditions. Need help? Visit our walnut growing guide, care & planting instructions for practical advice, and learn more about pollination.
- Uses: Eating fresh, baking, cooking, oil
- Pollination: Partially self-pollinating; better yields with compatible pollinators e.g. 'Chandler', 'Cisco'
- Harvest: Early to mid-season (March)
- Chill requirements: Moderate chill; suitable for temperate and warm temperate climates
- Size: About 8–10 m high × 6–8 m wide
- Attributes: Compact growth, high productivity, early bearing
- Features: Smooth shell, light kernel, excellent flavour, good crackability; ideal for small-scale planting
- Also known as: English Walnut 'Vina', Persian Walnut 'Vina'
Trees are grown on their own roots propagated from seed, not grafted. Walnuts are one of the few fruit and nut trees that can produce worthwhile trees from seed. Unlike apples, pears and many stone fruits, walnut seedlings are often reasonably similar to their parent, although some variation is still to be expected. Seedling trees typically take longer to bear (around 8-12 years) than grafted cultivars (about 3-5 years), but they develop into vigorous, long-lived trees and have produced many of Australia's finest historic walnuts.
References incl:
Ramos, D. E. (Ed.). (1997). Walnut Production Manual. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources Publication 3373.
University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. (n.d.). Walnut Cultivar Descriptions. Retrieved from https://walnut.ucanr.edu
McGranahan, G. H., & Leslie, C. A. (1991). Breeding and genetics of walnuts. Horticultural Reviews, 13, 155–201.
Images including dried nuts: Copyright Heritage Fruit Trees
