Minnesota boasts incredible coniferous and hardwood forests in the northern part of the state as well as plenty of deciduous forests in the south. In amongst the deciduous forests, lay hidden gems that are a feast for the eyes, and the stomachs.
There are quite a few species of trees that produce a seed that can be enjoyed not only by the woodland creatures that reside in the woods, but us human folk too. The trees in question can be lumped into the tasty snack category of tree nuts. However, there are quite a few nuts we think of that are not nuts at all, but no less delicious.
Some of the most popular native trees with edible nuts are Black Walnut: Juglans nigra, Butternut: Juglans cinerea, American Hazelnut: Corylus americana, andShagbark Hickory: Carya ovata. Of these only the hazelnut is a true nut. Everything else is considered a drupe.
To establish the difference between a nut and drupe, a classification of how the part of the plant that is being eaten as a nut grows and develops needs to be determined. The definition of a true tree nut has a hard shell encasing the edible seed of a plant. Simple enough. Yet, if that hard shell that is encasing the edible seed is also surrounded by another layer, like fleshy fruit, then the edible seed is not a true tree nut, but a drupe instead.
It would be comparable to opening a stone fruit like a peach or a cherry but not utilizing the flesh of the fruit because it is not edible. Instead, discard the flesh and break open the pit to harvest the seeds inside. Now, the seeds inside of stone fruit are not edible, for they contain cyanide, but that is for a different article.
Think of the well-known black walnuts. They produce these tennis ball sized fruits that are green in color and fall to the ground with a resounding thunk. Peel that open, and find a deeply ridged shell enveloping the edible seed on the inside. The husk of the fruit is great as a natural dye, but not something that is considered edible. The black walnut has a bold floral, almost earthy flavor to it. It has been known to be more bitter than the English walnut counterpart but can be enjoyed raw or cooked.
The American hazelnut grows on more of a glorified bush, than tree, only reaching heights from six to twelve feet tall. This true tree nut is smaller than it’s European counterpart but has milder and sweeter flavor. Shagbark hickory trees have the shaggiest bark on a tree, making them easy to identify and their nut has a flavor reminiscent of a mix between a walnut and a pecan. Whereas the more elusive butternut has the least bitterness of any of our tree nuts with a light and buttery taste to it, hence the name.
These tree nuts have been nutrient dense delicacies that have been coveted, harvested, and enjoyed by people for thousands of years here in this area of the Midwest. While some might be true tree nuts, and other drupes, one thing is for certain, what they are called does not change the fact that they are an enjoyable snack. Maybe one that can be found in your own back yard.

Authored by: Kelly Bahl, Outreach Naturalist