Black Walnuts

By Tyler Dudley

Juglans nigra

• Explanation for scientific name • Juglans - From the 2 Latin words “Jovis”

meaning Jupiter and “glans” meaning nut. • The word is used most likely in reference to

the ancient common name for walnut fruit: nut of Jupiter.

• nigra - Latin for dark or black.

Scientific classificationKingdom: Kingdom:

Angiosperm

Eudicots

Rosids

Order: Fagales

Family: juglandaceae

Genus: Juglans

Species: J.Nigra

Range

• From southern Ontario, to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas.

• The squirrel bury them for the winter, allowing many black walnut trees to germinate by this method.

Cool Characteristics• Defenseless against a person with a chainsaw (haha) Black

Walnut trees do, however, have the capability of defending against plant competitors!

• roots contain a hormone “juglone” that retards or kill such plants as alfalfa, tomato, potato, blackberry, blueberry, among others.

• This chemical inhibition of surrounding vegetation is termed allelopathy.

• While some plants are hurt, other surrounding plants are promoted. Beets, beans, corn, bluegrass, raspberry, grape, and even poison ivy are helped, or at least unaffected by the juglone.

Habitat

• Fertile soils in mixed hardwood forests. Also grows well in pastures, meadows, and slopes.

Soil

• The black walnut tree likes soil that is fertile and moist. However, the soil must be well-drained. They also like soil that is at least 30 feet deep before their roots hit the bedrock. The black walnut won't grow in dry, rocky and sandy soils.

Bark

• The thick bark is dark brown in color and divided by deep fissures into rounded ridges. It has a chocolate brown under-color when broken from the tree.

Down Side and poisoning

• Inner bark is white and undesirable• The shavings of wood from this tree have

caused laminitis in horses in the United States.• Pollen of black walnut has been implicated in

causing laminitis in horses• Takes a long time to grow• Oil stains hands and can smell• Thousand Cankers black walnut disease

Related plants

• Unlike its European relative the “English” or “Persian” Walnut, the Black Walnut’s kernel is quite difficult to extract from the fruit.

• Prettier flowers on its distant cousins tree

Leafs • The tree has large, pinnately compound leaves• 12 to 24 inches long • 15 to 23 leaflets. • The leaf stems are covered with fine hairs, but are smoother

than butternut. • The leaflets are 2-1/2 to 3 inches long• yellowish green in color, tapering at the end and toothed

along the margin.

THE BENEFITS OF THE USE OF BLACK WALNUTIN HERBAL PREPARATIONS

• A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those whose diets included walnuts were able to lower their cholesterol by 9 to 10%. ~ (how the French can eat like us and have less heart attacks)

• Another study that found that walnuts could also diminish the extent of heart damage after a heart attack.

• Even the walnut oil was employed as a medicinal aid. It was first diluted before it was used to treat colic, dandruff, dry hair, gangrene, and open wounds, while the green rind of the walnut was used to treat ringworm.

• The leaf was decocted to cure boils, eczema, hives, ulcers, and sores.

Other Medical qualities• The juice from the fruit husk is applied externally as a treatment

for ringworm. The husk is chewed in the treatment of colic and applied as a poultice to inflammations

• The bark and leaves are for anodyne, astringent, blood tonic, detergent, emetic, laxative, pectoral and vermifuge. Especially useful in the treatment of skin diseases, black walnut is of the highest value in curing scrofulous diseases, herpes, eczema etc

• Tooth aches, head aches, high blood pressure, infection, exspel worms and parasites (used too) stop bleeding

• induce sweating, cure diarrhea, soothe sore gums and skin diseases, cure herpes, and relieve inflamed tonsils. The nut itself was used to prevent weight gain, calm hysteria, eliminate morning sickness

Uses• Native Americans and early colonists (beginning with Jamestown in 1609)

pounded it into butter• While their nuts are of interest and of economic importance, the wood is by

far the most valued part of this species.• Until it was replaced by synthetics, the wood was used for airplane propellers.• Black Walnut is the wood to use for gunstocks. • Black Walnut paneling is available but is quite expensive.• Antiques and modern furniture• grinding up the nutshells for cleaning abrasives and gas mask filters.• Husks and nuts allowed to sit in a bucket of water for several hours will

produce a dark brown/black liquid, which if poured over soil will in minutes drive every earthworm in the area up to the surface for easy picking. - For Brad the fishermen

The wood to use• While their nuts are of interest and of economic importance, the

wood is by far the most valued part of this species.

• It is coarse grained• finishes well• absorbs shock • only shrinks slightly when dried• resists decay• the inner heartwood is a rich dark chocolate brown of just about

unsurpassed quality. • It was valued then, and even today it is undoubtedly the most

sought after native American wood

Fun Facts• Unfortunately, the demand is so great they are rare in nature• growing time takes a minimum of 60 years to get a large trunk, we cut

many more Black Walnuts than are started. • Prices are ridiculous. A 200 year old tree can sell for tens of thousands

of dollars. But, such a tree could yield enough black walnut veneer to cover nearly 3 acres.

• Black Walnut thieves are becoming common. Eight trees worth over $50,000 were cut from a property in Michigan, and at least several Black Walnut thefts are reported annually in New Jersey. While not a danger of extinction, Black Walnut trees are becoming less common in the landscape.

• exploited but certainly not unappreciated by those who recognize its beauty, the Black Walnut’s status and value are likely to continue to rise.

References • eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts

• http://faculty.ucc.edu/biology-ombrel• Dr. T. Ombrello - UCC Biology Department –

plant of the week• .wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_nigra