Almonds have a long, winding, world history going back many thousands of years. They are part of the rose family, along with many of the fruit we know and are thought to have originated in the wilds of China. Almonds were found in the Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb, surviving from his burial in 1332 BC. Almonds were snacked on and traded along The Silk Road which carried them to Europe. Almonds were recorded in the Bible when Moses witnessed the Rod of Aaron bloom and bare almonds. They eventually made their way into the New World through the Spanish Franciscan monks, who planted them while traveling in California. Gillet introduced the almonds we have here and many others during the late 1800s. The world’s most popular almond, the Nonpareil, is propagated from a seedling grown in Vacaville, California by A. T Hatch in 1879. Eighty percent of the world’s almonds now come from California, and in 2015 California shipped 1.81 Billion pounds of almonds worldwide.
Almonds are the earliest of fruit and nut trees to bloom, February and March. To ensure their success, plant in an area with good air circulation and water drainage. Plant two different varieties to ensure adequate cross pollenization. Our heirloom almonds are grafted to Myrobalan 29C rootstock, which induces good resistance to poor soil, poor drainage and diseases.
The Following are Historic Varieties that we have re-discovered throughout the Gold Country Region:
Fowler Hardshell Almond
This is an unknown variety of almond. The mother Tree is at around 100 years old, and is located in Newcastle on the old Fowler Nursery Property. The almond is a hardshell variety with a very delicious, sweet and delicious almond. The flavor is a very strong almond/ cherry that tastes like candy. The mother tree is about 35ft tall, very hardy and drought tolerant. It is a unique fruit and possibly unavailable anymore.
Grosse Tendre Almond
We believe this almond to be same almond Gillet published in his catalogs as ‘Grosse Tendre or known also as ‘Improved Languedoc.’ Translating as ‘Big Tender’ Gillet wrote that it is “A soft shelled nut above medium in size, recently imported from the province of Languedoc in southern France; as hardy as the Languedoc.” This plump, little, heirloom nut can be removed easily from it’s shell and eaten by the handful. Almond trees love to be planted with at least one other almond tree variety to increase pollenization. They are one of the earliest trees to bloom and consequently subject to freezing out, especially at higher elevations. They are beautiful trees and the blossoms are a lovely pink to white.
The mother tree is growing on a small property in Nevada City, about 1/2 mile from Gillet’s Barren Hill Nursery. The property is now well cared for and contains multiple Gillet era trees. Nevada City was the center of the Gold Rush Northern mines, the social and financial hub. Once the capitol of the territory of Nevada, it is still a thriving, beautiful town primarily surviving on the heritage of its mining history. The beauty of the place is, in part, a result of the efforts of Gillet and his successor Charles Parsons, who provided thousands of food and ornamental plants that give Nevada City its botanical diversity. Few residents are aware that the most significant nurserymen of the West operated his nursery on Aristocracy Hill for more than 40 years, followed by the Parsons for another 60 years. We believe these almonds will be productive at all sites below 2500 feet where there is minimal spring frost damage. Higher elevations require an excellent air drainage site, and may produce crops infrequently, although the tree and blossoms will be beautiful.
IXL Almond
The IXL almond is a delicious, sweet, nutty and soft shelled (easy to crack) almond. In the late 1800’s it was considered to be of the same superior quality as the Non Pariel. The Non Pariel and the IXL almond were both produced from the same seed lot that A.T. Hatch planted in Vacaville, California in 1879. So they are sister almonds. It is known to be a heavy cropper and partially self fertile.
The grandmother is a tough tree still thriving on the side of the road near Colfax, Placer County CA at 2400′. The untended tree has been hacked back severely but survives and produces nuts even though there is no other pollinator almond in the area.
Colfax was named after then Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax who visited the town in 1865 while inspecting progress on the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad, the western portion of the first transcontinental railroad. The city was the southern terminus of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad from 1876 until the railroad’s removal in 1942. Historic U.S. Route 40 also runs through the city as well as the more modern Interstate 80. The city is mentioned in Jules Verne’s book, Around the World in Eighty Days.
Princess Almond
One of the best French varieties of the 1800’s, introduced to California by Gillet in 1876. This paper shelled variety has beautiful kernels, with excellent flavor. Paper shell means you can easily crack the shells with your fingers. Very popular in late the 1800s California plantings, once often confused with Non Pariel, which it resembles. The tree is large, vigorous and upright with spreading top. Beautiful pink/purple bloom, a landscape standout. Harvests in September at 1700′. Will produce larger crops when pollinated with Sultana or Provence, however he mother tree is producing very nice crops without a pollinator nearby. This variety was chosen by the Slow Food Ark of Taste in 2014 to be honored and saved for posterity.
The grandmother tree is growing on an 1800’s homestead in Birchville, Nevada County at 1,765 feet. Birchville was a small mining camp in the 1800’s whose gold ran out pretty quickly. In 1880, the population was 50. There aren’t many more people residing there today! The owners of this tree have been renovating it, applying biodynamic and organic care, and it is thriving with their attention. An oldie just waiting to thrive in the 21st century.
Provence Almond (aka Jordanola)
This almond was first introduced into the US by Felix Gillet in 1876. He eventually introduced 15 varieties and created the foundation for further breeding, resulting in today’s modern, popular varieties. The Provence (aka Jordonola) is the first of his cultivars grown by the FGI. His description from his 1889 Barren Hill Nursery catalog: “A recent introduction. This nut, which is kind of flat, is much sought after by confectioners; by striking the nut on the suture with a small hammer, the shell splits open in two, letting out the kernel entire.” In addition to their great culinary qualities, almonds also produce a profuse beautiful pink/white bloom in early spring, heavily visited by bees and other wild insects and birds. Almond is a valued hardwood for use in specialty wood products and for smoking meats and vegetables. Will produce larger crops when planted with Sultana or Princess. We believe these almonds will be productive at all sites below 2500 feet where there is minimal spring frost damage. Higher elevations require an excellent air drainage site, and may produce crops infrequently, although the tree and blossoms will be beautiful. We believe this almond will be productive at all sites below 2500 feet where there is minimal Spring frost damage.Higher elevations require an excellent air drainage site and may produce crops infrequently, although the tree and blossoms will be beautiful.
The grandmother tree is growing on a small property in Nevada City, about 1/2 mile from Gillet’s Barren Hill Nursery. The property is now well cared for and contains multiple Gillet era trees. Nevada City was the center of the Gold Rush Northern mines, the social and financial hub. Once the capitol of the territory of Nevada, it is still a thriving, beautiful town primarily surviving on the heritage of its mining history. The beauty of the place is, in part, a result of the efforts of Gillet and his successor Charles Parsons, who provided thousands of food and ornamental plants that give Nevada City its botanical diversity. Few residents are aware that the most significant nurserymen of the West operated his nursery on Aristocracy Hill for more than 40 years, followed by the Parsons for another 60 years.
Sultana Almond
This was once a well-known Spanish variety was first offered by Gillet in the 1890’s. It has been planted over a wider range of climates than any other almond, but like all other almonds it needs nearly frost-free conditions during bloom in February. Unlike most almonds, this variety bears well on heavy soils as long as there is good drainage. Well flavored, very large (over 1 1/4” wide and long) nut with dark, hard shell. Ripens in September. Needs pollination by Princess or Provence.
The grandmother tree is still growing, barely, at French Corral, Nevada County along the South Yuba River at 1530’. One of the first mining camps along the San Juan Ridge, it had multiple huge hydraulic mines. The name was literal as the town grew around a mule corral built by the first settler, a Frenchman, in 1849. In 1877, it was the terminus of the world’s first long-distance telephone line, built to warn the miners that the sheriff was coming to shut down the outlawed hydraulic mines. The telephone was needed to notify the dam tenders on the Middle Fork of the Yuba to turn off the ditch water, making it impossible for the sheriff to bust the miners doing their deeds! The Bridgeport covered bridge, just downstream, is reputed to be the longest single-span wooden covered bridge in the world.
Texas Almond
This vigorous growing, prolific bearing almond was California’s most popular variety in the 1920s and heavily planted in every almond district of that time. Gillet introduced them to California in the mid 1880s. Inclined to somewhat alternate bearing, but it averages heavy crops. It is one of the latest almonds to bloom, thus escaping some spring frosts and rain that limit almond production everywhere. The medium size plump kernel has a distinct slight bitter tinge that many eaters enjoy. We love it! These trees are growing at the upper limit of almond production at 2500′. Nuts ripen in September.
The grandmother trees are growing on an old homestead on American Hill in Nevada City, a stones throw from the Gillet nursery. Nevada City was a bustling place in the late 1800s, the Queen of the Northern Mines, with much agriculture to feed the miners. We have found many Felix trees in this community, likely due to nearly 100 years of continuous nursery operation. Felix grew many of the trees and vines still thriving in and around Nevada City.