# Black walnut (Juglans nigra)

> A large, valuable timber and nut tree (50-75 feet) with long feathery leaves that turn clear yellow and hard-shelled nuts in green husks that stain everything they touch. Its roots and leaves release juglone, which kills tomatoes, apples and many ornamentals planted beneath it. Best on big rural or riparian lots with deep soil.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/juglans-nigra · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Eastern black walnut
- Family: Juglandaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 20 m; spread 18 m
- Growth: Medium growth
- USDA hardiness zones: 4 to 9
- Light: Full sun
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Deep, rich, moist, well-drained loam; tolerates calcareous soil but performs poorly on thin or infertile sites
- Native range: Eastern United States from Massachusetts to northern Florida, west to Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma and central Texas

**Benefits:** Shade, Edible, Wildlife, Birds, Fall color, Long lived

**Good for:** Timber, Food, Yard shade, parks, Agroforestry

**Watch out for:** Toxic parts, Messy fruit, Heavy litter, Pest prone, Large roots

## Care

Plant small; the taproot makes transplanting hard. Keep soil moist the first two years. Do not plant vegetable gardens or sensitive ornamentals within the drip line. Expect fall webworm and caterpillars, anthracnose in wet years, and a heavy nut drop in autumn that is hard on mowers and ankles. Prune in late winter.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** United States (Also native in: CT, DC, DE, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SD, VA, WI, WV (USDA PLANTS distribution)); AL, United States; AR, United States; FL, United States; GA, United States; LA, United States; MS, United States; NC, United States; OK, United States; SC, United States; TN, United States; TX, United States (Native to the eastern half of Texas as far west as the Edwards Plateau; Austin's Grow Green list carries the smaller native little walnut (Juglans microcarpa) instead)
- **Recommended:** Washington, DC, United States (On the Casey Trees Tree Rebate eligible species list); Atlanta, GA, United States (On the Trees Atlanta Top 50 Atlanta Trees list); Dallas, TX, United States (On the City of Dallas Article X Approved Tree List); Houston, TX, United States (On the City of Houston Planning and Development Department Street Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/JUNI
- https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=JUNI
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juglans-nigra/