Butte
Blooms 5 days after Nonpareil; harvests 2 weeks after Nonpareil. Heavy producer
with the highest yield of all varieties over the years in the regional variety
trials. Kernel is medium-small with a semi-hard shell and is well sealed. Tree
is vigorous and spreading.
Aldrich
(P.P. # 5320)
Blooms slightly ahead of Nonpareil; harvests 14 days after Nonpareil, excellent
pollinizer for Nonpareil. Tree is very upright in growth. Medium hard shell.
Shell is well sealed.
Carmel
Blooms with Nonpareil; harvests about 2 weeks after Nonpareil. It is a good
pollinizer for Nonpareil, with heavy, early production, but its susceptibility
to bud failure is a serious concern. Kernel is medium size and elongated, well
sealed, soft shell. Tree is medium size but more upright than Nonpareil.
Fritz
Blooms with Nonpareil or 1 to 2 days after. It is one of the latest harvest
varieties. Harvests 40 days after Nonpareil. It is also among the most productive
pollinizers for Nonpareil. Kernel is medium-small, ovate with soft shell. Medium
size tree is upright and somewhat spreading.
Monterey
Blooms 2 days after Nonpareil; harvests 26 days after Nonpareil, somewhat late.
Nut is large with a elongated kernel with a high percentage of doubles. Shell
is soft and well-sealed.
Ne
Plus
Blooms 5 days before Nonpareil; harvests 14 days after Nonpareil. Early bloom
is susceptible to frost. The kernel is large. Shell is soft and well sealed.
Tree has a spreading, slightly willowy growth habit.
Nonpareil
Is the premier variety in California. It blooms approximately the third week
in February; harvests at the end of August. Kernel is medium-large size with
excellent quality and flavor, and flat, which is in high demand by trade. It
has become the basis of the almond industry. Shell is paper thin, often poorly
sealed. Tree is large and harvests easily.
Padre
Blooms 5 days after Nonpareil; harvests 26 days after Nonpareil. A productive
variety and does well on Marianna plum rootstock. It has a medium-small kernel
and a hard shell with a good seal. Tree is medium size and upright. A good producer
with potential for high yields.
Peerless
Blooms 5 days after Nonpareil; harvests 17 days after Nonpareil. Early bloom
is susceptible to frost. It has a medium size kernel. Considered the best nut
for in-shell markets due to attractive, light-colored, hard shell. Tree is medium
size with moderate to upright growth.
Price
Blooms with Nonpareil; harvests 4 to 6 days after Nonpareil. The bloom overlaps
the Nonpareil bloom almost perfectly. Like Sonora, it tends to alternate bloom.
Kernel is medium-small, plump, and has a paper-thin shell. It has a high number
of double kernels. Tree is medium size, vigorous, upright and spreading.
Sonora
Blooms 3 to 4 days before Nonpareil; harvests 7 days after Nonpareil. It has
good frost resistance. Kernel is medium-large size, elongated and light-colored
in a paper-thin shell. It is often poorly sealed. Tree is medium size with a
slight spreading growth habit. It tends to alternate bloom.
Texas
(Mission)
Blooms 6 days after Nonpareil; harvests 28 days after Nonpareil. The kernel
is medium size plump. It is very well sealed, and has a hard shell and low worm
damage. Tree is large, upright and easy to train. It is a long time variety
in California.
Winters
(P.P.# Pending)
A new variety from the University of California (Formerly UC-13-1). Blooms with
Nonpareil and Carmel; harvests 3 to 4 weeks after Nonpareil. The kernel qualities
are good as compared to both Nonpareil and Carmel. Tree is upright and vigorous.
Wood
Colony (P.P.#5583)
Prolonged bloom coincides with Carmel and harvest approximately 10 days after
Nonpareil. A consistent heavy producer. The Wood Colony tree is smaller than
the Carmel, but has a similar scaffold structure. Due to its compact size, the
tree is suitable for close planting.
