Camellias near Walnuts?????

Black Walnuts are toxic to many plants.Can anyone tell me whether or not walnuts are toxic to camellias? Does any one have camellias growing under or near walnuts? I would like to know b/4 I plant my camellias.

I haven't had anything do well near walnuts. Don't have any camelias so cannot help specifically.

The black walnut (Juglans nigra) is the native tree that inhibits growth in many other plants. Is that what you have, or Juglans regia(English walnut)? The two references I found both said to consult your Cooperative Extension office for a list of plants that will grow near J. nigra. Sorry not to be more helpful.

Darius and Yaska.Thanks for your reply. They are black walnuts and I havent received a reply from my extension agent. Its only recently that the newer hybred Camellias can be planted out-doors in this climate. Hopefully someone a little further south of here has tried planting them together. I have the camellias, but almost everywhere I would plant them I have Walnut trees growing nearby. I need to get my Camellias in the ground B/4 cold weather sets in. Thanks again for your help.

Don't despair! I grow Camellias under my walnut but I would start with a couple small ones and see. Also try a Sasanqua Camellia - they are much more hardy and bloom in November here. Camellias do need help under the tree. (They have been in a long time and are about 7 feet tall). I give them acid fertilizer three times a year and fish emulsion and folier spray every month in the summer. Be careful of spider mites. Another plant that is very happy - violets, the running kind. You won't get rid of them without a great deal of work but they do look beautiful and they cover the ground. Hostas are a possibility. I have had luck with a few. A tree fern put in last fall seems to be doing OK. It needs another year before I decide that I could recommend it. Just outside the dripline I can plant almost anything - hydrangeas, clematis (a shade loving cultivar), a Japanese Maple, Daylilies, Miniature pomegranates (can't remember the name now), Heuchera and Narcissus do very well. Shade annuals do well there and Dahlias too if you get the type that like more shade. I also have some plants in pots underneath the tree that I am experimenting with. I put in a stone patio. It is a really lovely cool and shady place to come to in the summer. I have the patio furniture with straps up there all year and they are just fine. I hate to say the word but Ivy grows - that's where the roof rats live, only to get in the crawl space of the house and nest when it's cold. The ivy is in my neighbors yard or I would tear it out.

So, here's my recommendation from 30 years with my Black Walnut. Put in Camellias but baby them. I haven't tried Sansaqua Camellias there but they are really hardy and bloom in November for me. Build a woodsy looking patio and put some inviting furniture, teak might be even better. Plant running violets and Hostas (Plant Delights Nursery has one they say will grow under Walnuts - visit their website and then call. They carry a zillion Hostas). Then surround the tree with lots of plants just outside or just inside the dripline. Lucky for us they are pretty erect. Don't get direct water on the tree, so plant accordingly in light of how much irrigation of camellias is needed. Put some pots around your patio. Then enjoy and experiment - and rest in the cool patio in the summer! Ours looks down over our pool and my mother likes it best of all.

We have just recently bought some property and one of the trees I'm interested in planting is a black walnut. How far away from other stuff should it be?

Of course, I'll have to check and make sure there isn't one already there. There is a fairly extensive garden already in place.

My mom grew up on a farm and always talks sentimentally about black walnut trees, so I thought I'd put one in as I know it would please her.

Gwen
Whidbey Island, WA

Thank you for your answer doss. That is what I wanted to know. If they are growing under your walnuts they will grow under mine. We don't have to irrigate here as we get 60+ inches of rain per year. Plants may need watering the first year untill they are well rooted. I believe the camellias I have are sansaqua hybreds,they have much smaller leaves than the japonicas,and are supposed to be hearty to -10f .I'm placeing them in a valley,[called a hollow here] with tall trees casting light shade and open to the west. I do have some of the april series of cold hearty camellias and they are doing very well,but they are not near any walnuts. The camellias I have to plant now are named Winter Star and are fall blooming rather than spring.Thanks and good luck with your gardening Ray

Gwen,A small tree should'nt be a problem but as it grows everything beneath it and within reach of its roots are subject to its toxin. All parts of the tree are toxic. There are a lot of plants that can be grown under walnuts that are not susceptible to their toxin, so it depends on what you have growing now where you want to plant it.I have found the root-area to be the most toxic, but still I have plants under them and in the drip zone that aren't supposed to be able to grow there, doing just fine.I would tell you if you want a walnut, plant one, and worry about what to grow under it later, Good luck Ray

I have numerous black walnut trees so I have to plant near them. At the moment I have hostas, impatiens, coral bells, mums, and coleus planted under them. All did well this year. I did not know you were not supposed to plant under them. I guess I have been lucky.

Someone else here gave me a handy link to a black walnut tolerant list on a website, can't remember the link but if you search Black Walnut, you'll probably find it.