I will post a couple photos of the tree and then of the odd fruit it is bearing. The fruit, seriously, smells like lime insecticide, P.U. It's a pretty tree but I have no clue what it is. Can anyone out there help? Thanks! Here's photo #1.
Help, what is this weird tree and fruit?
Looks just like a Walnut (Juglans sp.). Those leaves don't appear to resemble the local Black Walnut here (Juglans nigra), but there are other species that could grow out in the KC area.
Black Walnut Juglans nigra (the leaves look exactly right to me!)
Resin
Black Walnut. A good food source for squirrels and other wildlife and also tastes great in ice cream or as a replacement for English Walnuts.
OMGosh, serious, a black walnut? I am so excited! What a cool tree - and we can eat the walnuts when they fall? Woo hoo - my husband makes carrot cakes with walnuts in the frosting, and this will really thrill him! Thanks for the information so much!
One other thing to be aware of on black walnuts--if you're planning on planting things around it, many plants are sensitive to juglone (a chemical produced by the walnut tree to discourage other things from growing in its root zone), so make sure you research juglone-tolerant plants before you plant anything there.
and we can eat the walnuts when they fall?
Yep! As long as you beat the squirrels to them, of course! Black Walnuts are also very tough nuts to crack, they're not like the walnuts you buy in shops (which are Persian Walnut J. regia).
Resin
Many people aorund here will drive over the nuts with their car to crack them open. Also, watch out for the stains produced.
What an interesting thread! I will be anxious to get our home built and watch the squirrels with the nuts. I have never heard of juglone before so I will definitely check the plants I plan to plant around the tree. It will be a focal point of our front yard for sure. Thanks so much for the information; I appreciate it!
Cynthia
Cynthia,
They are right in that most people use their car to drive over them to crack the nuts. The nut covering also stains. A freind in town has a lot of walnut trees. He loves the trees and hates the nuts.
My sister has a pecan tree in her yard. I thought I would show her grandkids the pecans. So I took some inside to crack the green shell around them. Oops! I had pecan stains all over my hands and inside the fingernails. Very hard to remove.So I guess you wear gloves or something to do this. Serious staining.
I think most folks harvest the pecans after they've dried and turned brown. Likely not to stain then.
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