Almonds

Alamo™

The Alamo™ almond is similar to Mission with a very well sealed hard shell and medium-small plump kernels. Alamo™ blooms 2 days after Nonpareil, with a harvest time 28 days after Nonpareil. This tree is a heavy bearer that is an upright tree, but more spreading than Mission. Alamo™ fruit flavor is similar to Mission and has a moderately high percentage of double kernels in some years.

Aldrich

The Aldrich almond blooms with Nonpareil making it an excellent pollenizer. With a harvest time 14 days after Nonpareil, Aldrich produces a plump nut of medium size and medium hard shell that is well sealed (62% crack-out). Expect the Aldrich tree to exhibit a growth habit similar to Mission: large, upright and vigorous.

Bluegum

A California type almond, Bluegum produces a light cocoa colored medium sized kernel with a soft, well-sealed shell. The Bluegum almond blooms 1 to 2 days ahead of Nonpareil, but is harvested 17 days after Nonpareil. It is a moderate to heavy bearer that is easy to shake. The Bluegum tree grows upright with moderate spreading. (Patent #12737)

Butte

Considered the highest yielding almond variety, Butte is a vigorous spreading tree that consistently produces a heavy crop and is easy to shake. The Butte almond offers a later bloom and harvest time (blooming 4 days after Nonpareil; harvesting 18 days after Nonpareil) making Butte ideal for combination plantings with other varieties such as Padre. The medium-to-small size kernel is distinguishably plump (similar to Mission). The Butte almond has a semi-hard and well-sealed shell.

Carmel

The Carmel almond is a heavy, early producer that makes a good pollenizer for Nonpareil. Carmel blooms slightly after Nonpareil and produces an abundant harvest 15 days after Nonpareil. The medium-size, elongated Carmel nut has a soft, but well-sealed, shell. This tree grows to a medium size and stands more upright than Nonpareil but may be susceptible to bud failure.

Folsom

This newer variety offers bloom and harvest times with Nonpareil making Folsom an excellent pollenizer for Nonpareil. The Folsom almond is a moderately vigorous spreading tree that produces a soft shell, medium to large kernel. (Patent #19555)

Fritz

With a harvest date 40 days after Nonpareil, the Fritz almond offers the latest maturation of commercial almond varieties. Since it blooms with Nonpareil and produces consistently heavy yields, it makes an excellent pollenizer for Nonpareil. The Fritz almond yields a medium-small, ovate kernel with semi-hard shell. The Fritz tree grows in an upright but moderately spreading habit.

Independence

Dave Wilson Nursery is proud to exclusively offer a high quality, self-fertile almond: Independence. The Independence almond blooms with Nonpareil and is harvested 2 to 3 days before Nonpareil. The Independence nut is a very large, high quality almond with a light cocoa color. This almond yields an excellent sweet flavor and blanches well. The tree is upright to moderately spreading and is a prolific bloomer. (Patent #20295)

Livingston

The Livingston almond blooms 5 days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Butte and Padre. Unlike those varieties, Livingston matures early (only 8 days after Nonpareil). The Livingston almond is a medium size well-sealed kernel with a paper shell. This medium to large size tree grows in an upright habit and consistently impresses with high productivity. With Livingston, expect a heavy crop that is easy to knock.

Mission

The Mission almond is also known as Texas Mission. This variety blooms 6 days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Butte and Padre. The Mission almond harvests 28 days after Nonpareil and is an historically good producer. The large upright tree is easy to train. The Mission almond is medium-to-small sized and plump. This very well-sealed hard-shelled nut resists worm damage.

Monterey

A heavy and precocious producer, the Monterey almond blooms 2 days after Nonpareil, but matures later, harvesting 26 days after Nonpareil. The Monterey almond is elongated and has a tendency for doubling. This nut is large in size with a soft well-sealed shell. The Monterey tree grows vigorously in a somewhat sprawling manner to a medium size.

Ne Plus

Known for an early bloom (5 days before Nonpareil), the Ne Plus almond is used primarily for pollinization. This almond harvests 14 days after Nonpareil, but the early bloom makes it susceptible to frost damage. Ne Plus produces a large kernel with a soft, well-sealed shell. This tree exhibits a spreading, slightly willow-like growth habit.

Nonpareil

Nonpareil is the most widely planted variety in California due to the quality of this almond which commands the top position in the market. It blooms approximately the 3rd week in February, and harvests at the end of August. The Nonpareil almond is a flat medium-sized kernel with a characteristically paper shell that is poorly sealed. The Nonpareil grows upright spreading to a large size tree. It is productive and easy to harvest.

Padre

Like the Butte almond, Padre offers later bloom and harvest times. Padre blooms 5 days after Nonpareil and matures for harvest 23 days after Nonpareil. This productive variety is similar to Mission with an upright tree growth The medium-small kernel is slightly smaller than Mission. The Padre almond has a hard shell with a good seal. This is a terrific producer with potential for high yields.

Price

With a bloom that overlaps the Nonpareil bloom almost perfectly, the Price almond is an exceptional variety. Price is ready for harvest 4 days after Nonpareil on a hardy, upright tree of medium size. Like Sonora, Price has some tendency to alternate bear. It may yield a moderately high percentage of double kernels in some years. The Price almond is a medium size, plump kernel with a paper shell.

Ruby

The Ruby almond blooms 8 days after Nonpareil with varieties such as Mission and Padre. Ruby offers a late harvest - 30 days after Nonpareil - of medium-small, plump kernels in semi-hard, well-sealed shells. This productive, moderately vigorous tree has an upright growth habit.

Sonora

The Sonora almond blooms 3 days before Nonpareil, but is considered less frost sensitive than other early blooming varieties. Sonora is harvested 7 days after Nonpareil and produces a medium-large, elongated, light-colored kernel with a paper shell that is poorly-sealed. The Sonora almond may have a tendency to alternate bear, but produces high shelling percentages. This medium-sized tree has a slightly spreading growth habit.

Winters

A new variety from the University of California that is worth consideration is the Winters almond. Winters blooms alongside Nonpareil and Carmel, but harvests 14 days after Nonpareil. Like Nonpareil and Carmel, Winters offers good kernel qualities. The almond is medium-sized and elongated with a soft shell. The shell is thin and moderately sealed providing excellent crackouts, but may result in higher levels of ant and worm damage as compared to Nonpareil and Carmel. The Winters tree is upright and vigorous and has shown consistently high yields in test plots. Winters may be susceptible to some diseases such as anthracnose and alternaria, so it is not recommended where disease pressure is high. (Patent #13286) [UC test selection 13-1]

Wood Colony

With a moderately compact size, the Wood Colony almond is suitable for close plantings and offers a bloom that coincides with Nonpareil and Carmel. Wood Colony matures for harvest 10 days after Nonpareil and is a consistent, heavy producer. The Wood Colony kernel is a medium-size, elongated nut with a semi-soft and well-sealed shell. The Wood Colony tree is smaller than Carmel with a similar spreading growth habit. (Patent #5538)

Also available:

Peerless

Sauret #1

Sauret #2

Thompson

Kernel size in number of kernels per ounce - Large: 20 or less/oz., Medium: 20-25/oz., Medium-Small: 25-30/oz., Small: 30 or more/oz.

Shelling percentage (proportion of inshell almond weight that is the kernel) - Paper Shell: 65%+, Soft Shell: 55-65%, Semihard Shell: 50-55%, Hard Shell: 50% and less.

Almonds have an estimated chilling requirment of 350 to 500 hours. In general, an earlier bloom indicates a lower chilling requirment.

Please note: Although diligence in evaluation and selection of budwood sources has reduced the incidence of noninfectious bud failure (crazy top), the following varieties are susceptible to this genetic disorder: Carmel, Jordanolo, Merced, Mission, Monterey, Nonpareil, Peerless, Price and Thompson. Due to limited occurrence of symptoms, noninfectious bud failure is not considered a potential production problem in Mission or Price. Noninfectious bud failure is not known to occur in Aldrich, Butte, Fritz, Ne Plus, Padre, Ruby, Solano and Sonora.