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1. digidoll
   Member Profile

   

   Does anyone near the 8800 block of 15th have (or know of) a Black Walnut tree nearby?

   If you have one you'll know it, if not: The "fruit" is a little different from traditional walnuts, as it is golfball sized with a bright green skin. The leaves are compound (20+ on a stem, in opposing pairs).

   Flickr photo (leaves):
   http://tinyurl.com/mkltcp

   Flickr photo (fruit):
   http://tinyurl.com/njclmw

   I've found two of the nuts in my yard (sans skin), probably forgotten by squirrels, and one actually sprouted and now I have a 4' high tree-ling.

   If you can tell me the general area of the tree that you know of, I'd like to take a look at it so I can decide if I want to keep mine or give it away. They are a pretty big commitment, since they make the soil intolerable for many plant species, and I am a pretty avid gardener.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

2. Hammertree
   Member Profile

   I am an arborist who lives right by you and will keep an eye out. What would be the deciding factor? Personally, I like the smell of the leaves.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

3. FullTilt
   Member Profile

   

   What does the fruit on a regular walnut tree look like? we have a mystery tree in the back yard that I am thinking of moving this fall.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

4. lazybeard
   Member Profile

   

   FullTilt,

   The walnuts are are in a green skin, and between the skin and the walnut itself is a black substance.

   Growing up, we had two, and each property had at least one as the area was a black walnut orchard before. It was always fun watching crows crack the walnuts, taking them up several feet and dropping them onto the driveways to get to the nut.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

5. IslandLvr
   Member Profile

   I may be wrong, but aren't black walnut trees toxic to fruit and vegetable plants? If you have a vegetable garden in your yard, I would probably opt not to keep the tree.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

6. digidoll
   Member Profile

   

   @FullTilt: If it truly is black walnut... I'm thinking Black Walnut ICE CREAM!

   @IslandLvr: Yes, they are toxic to many plants, but there are many plants that are resistent as well, so it would be a question of picking the right things to plant.

   @Hammertree: The deciding factor I guess is can I really give it a good home on a 4000sqft lot, and what sort of growing conditions it would have vs the other plants I want. Also, I've read they can be very messy when they drop fruit (although it'll be 10 or more years before that happens), and I'm sure I will be leaving a legacy behind for the next owner to deal with... which could likely be a death sentence for it if it's in the wrong place.

   Now is the time to move it, before it gets too big. I'll have to do some research on appropriate locations.

   Thanks everyone!

   Posted 2 years ago #         

7. Hammertree
   Member Profile

   They also have a large taproot so are difficult to transplant. It is a gamble with the allelopathic factor but is usually not a problem once the tree has an extensive root system.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

8. Hammertree
   Member Profile

   Found it. 8800 block between 16th and 17th. Can't miss it, massive, the largest I have ever seen.

   Posted 2 years ago #         

9. digidoll
   Member Profile

   

   Thanks much, Hammertree. I'll take a look this evening on my way home... maybe the dog will get a walk! There's a huge Doug fir that I can see from my front door, so it's probably just west of there. I'm excited to take a look, because I'd really like a nice "specimen tree" to provide shade in the front of my house.

   When you refer to their "large taproot" - at what tree size would it become a problem to transplant? It is less than 4' tall now, with a 1/2" thick "trunk."

   Posted 2 years ago #         

10. Hammertree
    Member Profile

    At 4' tall, I would imagine the taproot to be about a foot or less. Probably not a problem to transplant this year. 6' tall would probably be the max.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

11. Ken
    Member Profile

    

    I am reminded of a hurricane I went through in the 80's while living in a house with a tin roof 50 feet from a huge black walnut tree. The nuts normally fall in October so a September hurricane at 100+ mph make the large nuts and husks a dangerous missile. It took out every window on the windward side and sounded like artillery on the roof and wall.

    Our windstorms seem to come later in the year but you really don't want to have a tree too close to your house. My mom made the mistake of building a metal storage building under a black walnut tree and the sound was loud enough the wake people out of a sound sleep.

    Posted 2 years ago #         

12. datamuse
    Member Profile

    

    Wow, I haven't seen a black walnut tree since I left the east coast. Didn't even know they grew around here!

    Posted 2 years ago #         

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