Black Walnut, Juglans nigra

Native Nut Tree

Full Sun-Part Sun

Average to Moist Soil

75-100' high & wide

Medium to Large tree native to 32 states. Missouri produces more black walnuts than any other state & it is our official state nut tree. Black walnuts are still harvested from wild trees by hand. This makes it one of the most utilized forest trees. The flavor of black walnut is unquie & difficult to describe, although you can find many varied attempts online. It has a stronger & less bitter flavor than English walnuts. Black walnuts are described as earthy & fruity Trees are particularly fond of moist bottom lands & can be quite productive once mature. The local squirrels & I usually have plenty to spare. Green fruit drops from trees. The flesh quickly turns black, is removed & not edible. The nut inside is then cracked open to reveal the edible nut meat. Black walnuts are black & have a rough texture compared to english walnut shells. Trees prefer rich & moist soil that drains well, but have a wide tolerance.

Black walnut trees are allelopathic. They produce a chemical called juglone that inhibits the growth of other plants near it. This reduces competition. You don't want your garden & black walnut in the same spot. Many native plants have juglone tolerance, so it's important to choose the right plants growing near by. Elderberry, persimmon, sycamore, pawpaw, hazelnut, boxelder maple, gray dogwood, hickories & pecan are some of the natives that grow just fine near black walnut. Some tolerant & native herbaceous plants include: grape vine, virginia creeper, snakeroot & violets.