Nuts grow on woody plants, such as shrubs and trees, and are one-seeded fruits that don’t split open at maturity. The word “shrub” is not a botanical term, but a common term that makes it easier for people to differentiate them from trees. The generally accepted definition of “shrub” is a multistemmed, woody plant that grows 15 feet tall or less, but can be taller. In contrast, the word "tree" refers to a woody plant with a central trunk.
Large filbert (Corylus maxima), beaked hazel (Corylus cornuta) and Harry Lauder’s walking stick (Corylus avellana “Contorta”) are deciduous shrubs that produce hazelnuts, also known as filberts, and grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. They produce inconspicuous yellow flowers, with Corylus maxima blooming in March and the latter two blooming in April, followed by edible nuts encased in long, showy husks. Large filbert grows 12 to 15 feet tall, beaked hazel grows 4 to 8 feet tall, and Harry Lauder’s walking stick grows 8 to 10 feet tall. Harry Lauder’s walking stick usually doesn’t bear nuts and is considered invasive in some areas.
Almond (Prunus dulcis) is trainable as a small tree or large shrub and typically grows 10 to 15 feet tall, but can grow up to 30 feet tall, in USDA zones 7 through 9. It grows best in hot, dry places that feature sandy soil, full sun, low humidity and a long growing season. In the United States, the interior valleys of California are the ideal place to grow almonds. Almond trees display attractive, fragrant light pink to white blossoms in early spring, before the foliage emerges. Its edible "nuts" are are actually a seed and mature about seven to eight months after flowering.
Bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) and the variety serotina, along with its cultivar called “Rogers,” are shrubs that bear nuts in USDA zones 4 through 8. All of these deciduous shrubs produce butterfly-attracting flowers in white, followed by inedible nuts. The original bottlebrush buckeye flowers in June to July, the variety serotina flowers in July, and “Rogers” flowers in August. The original grows 8 to 12 feet tall, and the latter two grow 15 to 20 feet tall. These bottlebrush buckeye shrubs, which grow in full to partial shade, control erosion and tolerate wet or dry soil.
Peanuts are popularly known as nuts but are actually legumes and grow on annual plants you can cultivate in your garden. You can plant peanuts in well-cultivated soil with good drainage when all danger of frost has past and when the soil temperature reaches 65 degrees Fahrenheit. The plants bear small, bright-yellow flowers 30 to 40 days after sprouting, which droop to the ground after fertilization. The fertilized flower, called the peg, takes about 10 days to penetrate the soil and enlarges to form a peanut. Peanut varieties good for home gardeners include "Early Spanish" and "Virginia Improved."
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Aesculus Parviflora
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Aesculus Parviflora Var. Serotina "Rogers"
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Aesculus Parviflora Var. Serotina
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Corylus Maxima
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Corylus Cornuta
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Corylus Avellana "Contorta"
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Prunus Dulcis
- Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Growing Peanuts in the Home Garden
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Shrubs -- Functions, Planting and Maintenance
- Biology Online: Nut
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