FNPS Plant Database

Juglans nigra

black walnut
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

black walnut

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Juglans nigra

Family:

Juglandaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Tree

Size:

100–120 ft

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Blooms (inconspicuous) in spring. Nuts ripe in fall. Yellow fall color

Noted For:

Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen tree. Woodlot tree.

Considerations:

Nuts can be abundant on the ground in fall. Husks can stain. Tree roots, nuts, and leaves exude an effective herbicide (juglone) to reduce competition. Use with care in the landscape, it can poison birches and many herbaceous plants.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Easily grown from seed.

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■□□□□□□

Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Somewhat long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Clay, Loam

Soil pH:

Acidic to circum–neutral

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
Click a county The county name will appear here.
No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Mammals

Seeds eaten by squirrels and other odents. May be a significant food the fox squirrels (https://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/jugnig/all.html).

Native Habitats:

Dry mesic woods. Second bottoms. Prefers rich soils

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Valuable for lumber which is often used for cabinetry. People eat the nuts, but they are difficult to extract from their shells.

General Comments:

Will not produce flowers/seed unless it gets adequate winter cold, hence not recommended for use south of its native range. Salt spray tolerance was based on comments about tolerance to winter road salt in the northeastern US.
FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Burns, Russell M; Honkala, Barbara H; [Technical coordinators] 1990. Silvics of North America: Volume 2. Hardwoods. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook 654 ( https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1548 ). 


Fox, Laurie, and Joel Koci. (2021). Trees and Shrubs that Tolerate Saline Conditions. ( https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-031/430-031.html ). Accessed 2026. Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.


Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Morton Arboretum. (2025). Black Walnut. ( https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/black-walnut/ ). Accessed 2026. Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2026. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P, B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

Request an update