Plant · P-038

Black Walnut

Juglans nigra

Black Walnut produces a rich, oily dessert nut and a sweet sap that can be boiled into syrup, while the same tree grows one of the most valuable cabinet and veneer hardwoods in North America. Grown out in the open it spreads into a broad shade tree instead of a straight timber log; crowded by neighbours, it drives straight up into a tall, clear trunk instead. Its roots, buds and nut hulls release a compound that stunts or kills nearby tomatoes, apples and several other garden plants, so it needs distance from a vegetable bed. Squirrels bury the nuts well beyond the canopy, which is how new seedlings turn up some distance from the parent tree.