Common Walnut Parisienne - Juglans regia

The Juglans regia 'Parisienne' is a variety of common walnut traditionally cultivated around the city of Grenoble, it is one of the varieties of the Grenoble Walnut AOP. The nut of this variety is large-sized, the shell is thin and tender, it breaks easily by hand, it is a good aromatic walnut, to be consumed fresh, as a dessert. This majestic and hardy tree requires space and will start bearing fruit from its eighth year. Parisienne is a self-fertile and late variety, it can be grown alone but the yield will be much better with other walnut trees nearby.

The Juglans regia or common walnut belongs to the Juglandaceae family and is native to China, Iran, and Southeast Europe. The Parisienne variety was obtained by Mr. Croizat-Paris in Vinay, Isère. It is a majestic tree with a spreading habit that requires a large garden as it reaches 10 meters (33 feet) in height in 20 years and can grow up to 20 meters (66 feet) at maturity. Its spread is equally impressive and can reach up to 18 meters (59 feet). However, in orchards, there is a distance of 10 meters (33 feet) between two trees. No planting is possible below its canopy, as few plants can tolerate its competition, which is due to the production of juglone, a toxic aromatic compound for most plants. The nut of the 'Parisienne' variety is ready to harvest in October, it is large-sized, oval-shaped with a tender shell and a large kernel. Easy to peel, it is very good when dried, but it is even better when fresh. This variety bears fruit quite late, expect eight years before your first harvest.

Walnut trees in general prefer moist and deep, well-drained soils as they are sensitive to stagnant moisture as well as prolonged droughts. Severe winters can limit their fruiting and weaken the tree.