Not a Nut

In this season of "fruitfulness", it is worth reflecting that trees, shrubs and vines produce a wide range of fruit types - achenes, berries, capsules, drupes, hesperidiums and, of course, nuts. Many of the edible plant products which we call nuts are, in botanical terms, fruit. Fruits of many woody plants are essentially foodstuffs for birds, bears, squirrels, and the forest community. Fruits and nuts are very important considerations in woody landscape plants because they offer good ornamental assets (color, texture) and positive identification features through late summer and into fall. They often persist until spring of the year following maturation. However, there is a major disconnect between what the layperson may call a “nut" and formal botanical classifications of fruit.

Examples of "Nuts" that are Not:

A Coconut is not a “nut” - it's a drupe A Peanut is not a “nut” - it's a legume

A Brazil nut is not a “nut” - it's a seed An almond is not a “nut” - it's a drupe

The list of 'non-nuts', in botany, is pretty long...

And then there are the "berries" that aren't really berries...

Mountain ash berries are not "berries" - they are pomes Holly berries are not "berries" - they are pyrenes

Hawthorn berries are not "berries" - they are pomes (or haws) Mulberries are not "berries" - they are an aggregate fruit

The list is much longer than the examples I have supplied. Does this discrepancy between layperson's terms and botanical terms really matter? For the layperson, no, of course not. It is fine to eat your "nuts and berries", oblivious of how they are classified by botanists. Perhaps to differentiate between what is a seed and what is a fruit, though, is important, especially if you want to plant one. For those interested in botany, the more formal terms provide quite good classification knowledge, which helps to predict the structure of the fruit of a particular species or genus. It's common for scientific or professional terms to be part of a more complex hierarchy than a layperson's terms. It's not practical for these differing terminologies to merge. Botanists, for instance, use their specialist knowledge and understanding of fruits amongst themselves but that's not a good reason to relabel a packet of peanuts. Never the twain shall meet.

Hazelnuts are true nuts Kentucky Coffeetree pods are legumes

Acorns are true nuts Chestnuts are true nuts

Walnuts are drupes Ginkgo “nuts” are seeds

Buckeye “nuts” are seeds Almonds are drupes

For more information on when a nut is a "nut" or not

Homemade Hummus

Ingredients 1 garlic clove ¼ cup lemon juice 16 oz jar tahini 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 ½ cups ice water 2 (15oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed Instructions: Put garlic, lemon juice, tahini, salt and cumin to food processor. Process until the mixture looks buttery, about 1 minute. Stream the ice water, a little at a time with the motor running, Process just until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add the chickpeas and process about 3 minutes, scraping the side of the bowl as you go, until the chickpeas are completely blended.

Thanks for Reading and Happy Planting! Faith Faith Appelquist President & Founder