is it true what they say about black walnuts?

the saying is:
nothing grows under a black walnut
but the grass seems to be doing fine.
right around my walnut is a great place.

In short yes and no. Walnuts (juglans) produce someting called juglan it kills or harms some plants but doesn't bother others.

I have black raspberries and yellow forsythia,violas tulips and weeds that all are growing there. the poision is put off through their roots.

I have a list of plant s to grow around a black walnut. I'll try and hunt it down.

quynh

Not all plants are affected by Black walnut.

Tomatoes and peonies are.

Black walnuts are not the only one's

The sunflower also makes a toxin to some plants.

If you want to search this, the term is allelopathy.

Way too much to copy.

Byron

Here's a list :

What Grows Under Black Walnuts
Contact: Diane Relf, Extension Specialist, Environmental Horticulture
Posted April 1997
Herbaceous Perennials

Ajuga reptans - bugleweed Alcea rosea - hollyhock
Asarum europaeum - European wild ginger Astilbe
Campanula latifolia - bellflower Chrysanthemum - hardy chrysanthemum
Doronicum - leopard's bane Dryopteris cristata - crested wood fern
Galium odoratum - sweet woodruff Geranium robertianum - herb Robert
Geranium sanguineum - cranesbill Helianthus tuberosus - Jerusalem artichoke
Hemerocallis fulva - common daylily Heuchera x brizoides 'Pluie de Feu' - coral
bells
Hieracium aurantiacum - orange hawkweed Hosta fortunei 'Glauca' - hosta sp.
Hosta lancifolia - hosta sp. Hosta marginata - hosta sp.
Hosta undulata 'Variegata' - hosta sp. Hydrophyllum virginianum - Virginia
waterleaf
Iris sibirica - Siberian iris Monarda didyma - bee balm
Monarda fistulosa - wild bergamot Oenothera fruiticosa - sundrops
Onoclea sensibilis - sensitive fern Osmunda cinnamomea - cinnamon fern
Phlox paniculata - summer phlox Polemonium reptans - Jacob's ladder
Polygonatum commutatum - great Solomon's seal Primula x polyantha - polyanthus
primrose
Pulmonaria - lungwort Sanguinaria canadensis - bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis 'Mulitplex' - double flowered bloodroot Sedum acre - gold
moss
Sedum spectabile - sedum sp Stachys byzantina - lamb's ear
Tradescantia virginiana - spiderwort Trillium cernum - nodding trillium
Trillium grandiflorum - white wake-robin Uvularia grandiflora - big merrybells
Viola canadensis - Canada violet Viola sororia - woolly blue violet

Bulbs

Chionodoxa luciliae - glory-of-the-snow Crocus - crocus sp.
Endymion hispanicus - Spanish bluebell Eranthis hyemalis - winter aconite
Galanthus nivalis - snowdrop Hyacinthus 'City of Haarlem' - hyacinth sp.
Muscari botryoides - grape hyacinth Narcissus 'Cheerfulness' - narcissus sp.
Narcissus 'Yellow Cheerfulness' - narcissus sp. Narcissus 'Geranium' - narcissus
sp.
Narcissus 'Tete a tete' - narcissus sp. Narcissus 'Sundial' - narcissus sp.
Narcissus 'February Gold' - narcissus sp. Scilla siberica - blue squill
Tulipa Darwin 'White Volcano' - tulip sp. Tulipa Darwin 'Cum Laude' - tulip sp.
Tulipa Parrot 'Blue Parrot' - tulip sp. Tulipa Gregii 'Toronto' - tulip sp.

Trees

Acer palmatum - Japanese maple
Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' - cutleaf Japanese maple
Catalpa bignoniodes - common catalpa
Tsuga canadensis - Canadian hemlock

Vines and Shrubs

Clematis 'Red Cardinal' - clematis sp
Daphne mezereum - February daphne
Forsythia suspensa - weeping forsythia
Hibiscus syriacus - Rose of Sharon
Lonicera tatarica - Tatarian honeysuckle
Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia creeper
Rhododendron periclymenoides - pinxterbloom
Rhododendron Exbury 'Gibraltar' - rhododendron hybrid
Rhododendron Exbury 'Balzac' - rhododendron hybrid

Annuals

Begonia sp. - fibrous cultivars
Begonia 'Nonstop' - tuberous begonia
Ipomoea 'Heavenly Blue' - morning glory
Viola cornuta - horned violet
Viola x wittrockiana - pansy

(Prepared by Kate Dobbs, Extension Technician, Consumer Horticulture, Virginia Tech,
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0327, based on information developed by Frank Robinson,
Director of Lewis Ginter Botanic Garden, as part of the Gardeners' Information Service
provided by The American Horticultural Society.


It's amazing how much really isn't affected - don't bother with roses, even several feet away - they will get got!

Kathleen

I have heard roses also produce a toxin. If you need to replace a rosebush you should remove the existing soil and replace with new soil or the new rose will not do well. This came from a rose forum I attended at a local park, that has it's own horticultural staff.

We have several walnuts on the historic property owned by the historical society. Right now i see Iris and daffodils blooming under old walnuts. I think raspberries are growning under them, too

thanks so much!!!
sorry for the delay i lost track

Woodspirit, are the raspberries growning or growing. Just wondering ...

puttyrat,

I never heard of such a thing. I have been warned that replacing roses where a rose died is not such a good idea because pathogens/diseases might still be in the soil and might infect the new rose.

In our historic community rose garden we volunteers and the park staff are always replacing roses without any special concern or action, just good prep, VIM, and mulching

Marsh

Marsh I have to agree with Puttyrat only because this is what I was led to believe in England. I have not researched it personally. It could also be that you are quite right - it obviously works for you!