The Black Walnut or American Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) is a native of eastern North America, where it grows, mostly alongside rivers, from southern Ontario, Canada west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida and southwest to central Texas. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1768x1233, 625 KB) Summary Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) detail of nut and leaves Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Black Walnut Metadata This file contains... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants (also angiosperms or Magnoliophyta) are one of the major groups of modern plants, comprising those that produce seeds in specialized reproductive organs called flowers, where the ovulary or carpel is enclosed. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families included in the Kew list: Fagaceae - Beech family   (including Nothofagaceae) Betulaceae - Birch family Corylaceae - Hazel family Ticodendraceae not included in the Kew list: Casuarinaceae - She-oak family Juglandaceae - Walnut family Rhoipteleaceae Myricaceae The Fagales are an order of flowering plants, including some of the best known trees. ... Genera Alfaroa Annamocarya (beaked hickory) Carya (hickory and pecan) Cyclocarya (wheel wingnut) Engelhardia (cheo) Juglans (walnut) Oreomunnia Platycarya Pterocarya (wingnut) The Juglandaceae are a family of dicotyledonous trees in the order Fagales. ... For other uses, see Walnut (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Official language(s) English Capital Pierre Largest city Sioux Falls Area  Ranked 17th  - Total 77,116[1] sq mi (199,905 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 380 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) English Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Largest metro area Miami metropolitan area Area  Ranked 22nd  - Total 65,795[1] sq mi (170,304[1] km²)  - Width 361 miles (582 km)  - Length 447 miles (721 km)  - % water 17. ... Official language(s) No official language See languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Largest metro area Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 261,797 sq mi (678,051 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

Mature tree

It is a large deciduous tree attaining heights of 30–40 metres (100–130 feet). Under forest competition it develops a tall, clear bole; the open-grown form has a short bole and broad crown. The bark is grey-black and deeply furrowed. The pith of the twigs contains air spaces. The leaves are alternate, 30–60 cm long, odd-pinnate with 15–23 leaflets, the largest leaflets located in the centre, 7–10 cm long and 2–3 cm broad. The male flowers are in drooping catkins 8–10 cm long, the female flowers terminal, in clusters of two to five, ripening in the autumn into a fruit with a brownish-green, semi-fleshy husk and a brown corrugated nut. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in October; the seed is relatively small and very hard. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 2816 KB) Summary Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) Mature tree in middle Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Black Walnut Metadata This file contains additional... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2816x2112, 2816 KB) Summary Black Walnut (Juglans nigra L.) Mature tree in middle Licensing File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Black Walnut Metadata This file contains additional... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Pinus taeda cross section showing annual growth rings (Cheraw, South Carolina) In botany, trunk refers to the main structural member of a tree that is supported by and directly attached to the roots and which in turn supports the branches. ... The centre dark spot (about 1 mm diameter) in this yew wood is the pith Elderberry shoot cut longitudinally to show the broad, solid pith (rough-textured, white) inside the wood (smooth, yellow-tinged). ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up Pinnate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A male catkin on a willow a male flowering catkin on a willow Catkins, or aments, are slim, cylindrical flower clusters, wind-pollinated (anemophilous) and without petals, that can be found in many plant families, including Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Moraceae, and Salicaceae. ... For other uses, see Fruit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nut (disambiguation). ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ...

The Black Walnut was introduced into Europe in 1629. It is cultivated there as a forest tree for its high quality wood. It is more resistant to frost than the Persian Walnut, but thrives best in the warmer regions of Europe of fertile, lowland soils with a high water table. It is a light-demanding species. The wood is used to make furniture and rifle stocks, and oil is pressed from the seeds. For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... Events March 4 - Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a Royal charter. ... Binomial name Juglans regia L. The Persian Walnut (Juglans regia) is a walnut native from the Balkans in southeast Europe east through southwest and central Asia and the Himalaya to southwest China. ...

The Black Walnut produces a substance that is toxic or "allelopathic" to other plants called juglone. It interferes with the healthy development of other plants, especially plants in the Nightshade family (e.g. tomatoes), causing wilting and yellowing of the foliage. This has caused some to believe that nothing grows under a Black Walnut, but there are many varieties of plants that can. Fescue grass is a type of grass that is allelopathic to the Black Walnut. Casuarina equisetifolia litter completely suppresses germination of understory plants as shown here despite the relative openess of the canopy and ample rainfall (>120 cm/yr) at the location The term allelopathy denotes the production of specific biomolecules by one plant that can induce suffering in, or give benefit to, another... Juglone is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula C10H6O3. ... Species See text Solanum is a genus of annuals, perennials, sub-shrubs, shrubs and climbers. ... For other uses, see Tomato (disambiguation). ...

Use as food

The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the Black Walnut is difficult. The shell is covered by a thick husk that exudes a dark, staining, strong-smelling juice. The juice will often be a yellow brown at first, then rapidly assume a deep black-green color upon exposure to the air. The shell often protrudes into the meat, so that whole kernels often cannot be obtained.

Nut with the outer husk removed

The husk is best removed when green, as the nuts taste better if it is removed then. Rolling the nut underfoot on a hard surface such as a driveway is a common method; commercial huskers use a car tire rotating against a metal mesh. Some take a thick plywood board and drill a nut sized hole in it (from one to two inches in diameter) and smash the nut through using a hammer. The nut goes through and the husk remains behind. To keep the husk juices from splattering, a board or canvas scrap may be used to cover the nut before hammering. The black walnut's husks are known to leave durable, hard to remove stains on hands and clothing. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 720 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2400 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 720 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2400 × 2000 pixel, file size: 1. ...

Before eating or storage, the nuts should be cured in a dry place for at least two weeks. Before cracking, the unshelled nuts may be soaked in hot water for 24 hours in order to soften the shells, but with a proper cracker this is not necessary. While the flavor is prized, the difficulty in preparing the Black Walnut may account for the wider popularity and availability of the Persian Walnut. Binomial name Juglans regia L. The Persian Walnut (Juglans regia) is a walnut native from the Balkans in southeast Europe east through southwest and central Asia and the Himalaya to southwest China. ...

Wood

Black Walnut is highly prized for its dark-colored true heartwood. It is heavy and strong, yet easily split and worked. Walnut wood has historically been used for gunstocks, furniture, flooring, paddles, coffins, and a variety of other woodworking products. It is so valuable that so-called "walnut rustlers" have been known to harvest it illegally by posing as forestry officials, cutting trees during the night, and even using helicopters to take them away quickly; such overharvesting has greatly reduced its numbers and range since colonial times. A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is a material found as the primary content of the stems of woody plants, especially trees, but also shrubs. ... A stock or buttstock is present in many firearms and some crossbows to transfer the recoil from firing the weapon into the shooters shoulder. ... A decidous beech forest in Slovenia. ...

External links and references

• Extensive information about black walnuts
• Flora of North America: J. nigra RangeMap:
• Juglans nigra images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
• Monday Garden: Black Walnut
• Harvesting Black Walnuts
• Growing Black Walnut
• Black Walnut crackers
• Selling Black Walnuts
• Black Walnut Diagnostic photos: tree, leaves, bark and fruit
• Hoadley, B. (1990). Identifying Wood: Accurate Results with Simple Tools. Taunton Press, 240 pages. ISBN 0-942391-04-7. 
• Dirr, M. A. (1998). Manual of Woody Landscape Plants. Stipes Publishing. ISBN 0-87563-795-7
• Petrides, G. A. and Wehr, J. (1998). Eastern Trees. Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-90455-2
• The Hiker's Notebook