Stark® Champion™ English Walnut Tree

Stark® Champion™ English Walnut took first place at Stark Bro’s 150-year fruit and nut show — and the name reflects that winning quality. A Stark Bro’s exclusive Carpathian-type English walnut (Juglans regia) — also called Persian walnut — it produces rich, flavorful medium-to-large nuts with easy-to-crack thin shells that yield whole, attractive kernels with genuine quality. At fall ripeness, the nuts drop free of the husk naturally, making harvest straightforward and satisfying. Grafted for consistent performance, heat tolerant, and reliable in Zones 5–9. A pollinator is required — best pollinator: Lake English Walnut.

Important: As with all English walnuts (Juglans regia), Champion™ produces juglone — a natural compound that can inhibit the growth of certain nearby plants. Plant away from fruit trees, tomatoes, and other juglone-sensitive plants, and allow adequate space for the mature canopy.

First Place at Stark Bro’s 150-Year Fruit and Nut Show

Stark Bro’s has been selecting and evaluating exceptional fruit and nut varieties since 1816 — and when Champion™ won first place at the company’s 150-year show, it was recognized among the best of everything Stark Bro’s had seen in a century and a half of selection. That institutional endorsement is the most meaningful recommendation any Stark Bro’s exclusive variety can carry.

Carpathian-Type — Thin Shells, Rich Flavor, Free-Falling Nuts

The Carpathian-type English walnut is prized for its thin, easy-to-crack shells that yield whole, clean kernels without the frustration of thick-shelled varieties. Champion™ delivers exactly that — rich, flavorful walnuts with the mildly sweet, buttery character of quality English walnuts, in shells that crack cleanly and kernels that emerge attractively whole. At ripeness in early October, the nuts separate freely from the husk and drop naturally — eliminating the need to manually dehusk the harvest.

Grafted — Consistent Quality and Earlier Bearing

Champion™ is grafted rather than seedling-grown — ensuring consistent nut quality and tree performance from the first harvest forward. Grafted English walnuts also tend to bear earlier than seedling trees, though patience is still required: expect first production in 6–7 years from planting, followed by decades of reliable annual October harvests from a beautiful 30–40 foot landscape tree.

Why Growers Choose Stark® Champion™ English Walnut

• A Stark Bro’s exclusive — first place, Stark Bro’s 150-year fruit and nut show
• Thin easy-to-crack shells — clean whole kernels, no frustrating thick-shell cracking
• Nuts fall free of husk at ripeness — straightforward, satisfying harvest
• Rich, flavorful Carpathian-type walnut quality — mild, buttery, genuinely delicious
• Grafted for consistent performance — reliable quality from tree to tree
• Heat tolerant — adaptable across the full Zones 5–9 range