PlantsNuts & Mast
Black Walnut
Juglans nigra
Chicago-region native. Suited to zone 6a.
Large edible-nut and timber tree
AdvancedNuts & MastAlso TreesAlso Large-Space OnlyEdible
- Light
- Full sun
- Moisture
- Medium
- Mature size
- 50–80+ ft
- Spacing
- 35–60 ft
- Bloom or harvest
- Nuts Sep–Oct
- How it spreads
- Large tree; juglone-producing
- What to buy
- Container or balled-and-burlapped; bare-root in early spring.
- When to plant
- Early Apr–May after soil thaws and drains; Sep–mid Oct for container/B&B. Bare-root: early spring.
In the design
Do not site it next to a patio or driveway.
If you eat it
Black walnuts after hull removal and curing
Hulls stain; some plants are sensitive to juglone; large-space tree
Only eat what you planted and can name. This is not a foraging or medical guide.
