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Black
Walnut Tree Toxicity By
Kathy
Anderson You are welcome to use this article
on your website or in your newsletter as long as you reprint it as is,
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You are welcome to use this article with an affiliate link, http://www.freeplants.com/resellers.htm Black walnut is a common and useful tree that is native to much of The roots of black walnut trees produce a toxic substance called juglone
which adversely affects plants that are sensitive to it.
Plants which cannot tolerate juglone will show symptoms such as
yellowing and wilting foliage and they will ultimately die from its
toxic effects. It is
believed that juglone acts as a respiration inhibitor, leaving plants
unable to breathe and sapping their energy. Juglone is produced in the trees’ roots but is present in all parts of
black walnut trees, and is strongest in the buds and nut hulls.
The leaves and twigs contain smaller amounts of juglone, but
black walnut trees have a habit of continually dropping leaves and nuts
from late summer through autumn and this debris only adds to the
toxicity problem. Because of
the accumulation of leaves and nuts beneath the tree, and also because
of rain running off the leaves, the entire drip zone beneath a black
walnut tree can be a hazardous environment for juglone-sensitive plants.
Some plants that are extremely sensitive to juglone won’t grow
within fifty feet of the dripzone of a black walnut tree. Cutting down the offending black walnut tree won’t solve the juglone
problem either. The roots
will continue to release juglone into the soil and the area can remain
toxic for several years after the tree is gone.
A gardener I know removed several scruffy black walnut trees from
her backyard to make room for a garden, but even six years later she
wasn’t able to grow tomatoes in that area. The good news is that not all plants are sensitive to juglone.
Many trees, shrubs, flowers and vegetables will grow in close
proximity to a black walnut tree, although even some of the
juglone-resistant plants will struggle if they are directly beneath the
tree. Here’s a short list of some of the more popular plants known to
tolerate juglone: Trees & Shrubs - Eastern redbud, hickories, oaks, most maples,
Southern catalpa, red cedar, peach,
cherry, nectarine, some plums and pears, Thuja arborvitae, Euonymous
species, and most Viburnums. Vegetables - Squash, melons, beets, corn, carrots, onions, parsnips. Annual Flowers - Calendula, morning glory, zinnias, fibrous begonias. Perennials - Hollyhocks, iris, ferns, most daffodils and narcissus,
astilbe, crocus, snowdrops, Jack-in-the-pulpit, cranesbill, coral bells,
monarda, spiderwort, some hostas. And wouldn’t it just figure; poison
ivy doesn’t mind juglone and will thrive under a black walnut tree. Plants which are extremely sensitive to juglone and won’t thrive
within fifty feet of the drip line of a black walnut tree include
hydrangeas, peonies, rhubarb, silver maple, white birches, apple trees,
Norway spruce and Mugo pine, mountain laurels, most azaleas, lilacs,
blueberries, cabbage and broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. Juglone-sensitve plants may be grown in containers that are kept near a
black walnut tree, so long as they are not directly beneath the tree
where leaves and nuts could fall into the pots or rain could drip from
the leaves onto the plants. If you like to garden, black walnut trees would not be a good choice for
your landscape. But if the
trees already exist on your property, you can still garden if you take a
bit of extra care. Kathy Anderson has been an avid gardener for many years and has grown tomatoes by the acre, along with many other vegetables, flowers and landscape plants. Kathy recommends http://www.freeplants.com as a great place to learn more about gardening. Article provided by http://gardening-articles.com. If you use this article the above links must be active. |