Plant Details

Juglans nigra

Black walnut

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Common names

36 names · 30 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (29)
Dutch
  • Zwarte walnoot[2]
French
  • Noyer d'Amérique[2]
  • Noyer noir[2]
Alabama
Arabic
  • جوز أسود[2]
Cherokee
  • ᎬᏂᎨ ᏎᏘ[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 黑胡桃树[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 黑胡桃樹[2]
Croatian
Czech
  • ořešák černý[2]
Estonian
  • must pähklipuu[2]
Finnish
  • mustajalopähkinä[2]
German
Hungarian
  • fekete dió[2]
Italian
Japanese
  • クログルミ[2]
  • ブラックウォールナッツ[2]
Kiowa
  • chiishch'iida[2]
Lithuanian
  • Juodasis riešutmedis[2]
Miami
  • myaalweehki[2]
Ojibwe
Polish
  • Orzech czarny[2]
Portuguese
  • Nogueira-negra[2]
  • Nogueira-preta[2]
Russian
  • Орех чёрный[2]
Seneca
  • Dzo:nyó’gwa:k[2]
Slovak
  • orech čierny[2]
Slovenian
  • črni oreh[2]
Spanish
  • Nogal americano[2]
Swedish
  • svart valnöt[2]
Turkish
  • Kara Ceviz[2]
Ukrainian
  • Горіх чорний[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Juglans nigra L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Black walnut (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 154706; taxon 6NFM9.
  • Schwarznuss (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 154707; taxon 6NFM9.
[2] Juglans nigra — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Nogal americano — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Nogueira-preta — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Nogueira-negra — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Noce nero — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Noyer noir — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Noyer d'Amérique — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • eastern black walnut — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • ořešák černý — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Zwarte walnoot — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • must pähklipuu — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Орех чёрный — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Orzech czarny — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • svart valnöt — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Dzo:nyó’gwa:k — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • ᎬᏂᎨ ᏎᏘ — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Haahi — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Ochatapaski — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Juodasis riešutmedis — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Schwarznuss — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Schwarznussbaum — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • 黑胡桃树 — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • 黑胡桃樹 — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Bagaanaak — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • chiishch'iida — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • myaalweehki — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • black walnut — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • črni oreh — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • fekete dió — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Crni orah — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • クログルミ — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • ブラックウォールナッツ — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Горіх чорний — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • mustajalopähkinä — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • orech čierny — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • جوز أسود — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.
  • Kara Ceviz — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 54504; Juglans nigra.

General information

Scientific name: Juglans nigra
Accepted name (Kew): Juglans nigra L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Juglandaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Juglans (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Black walnut
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Nut tree
Catalogue size class: Large
Height: 15.24–22.86 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 15.24–21.34 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Fast
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Open, Oval, Rounded

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Dry, Occasionally Wet, Very Dry

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, Loam (Silt), Sand
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Oil, Sap, Seed
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Dye, Herbicide, Insecticide, Oil, Repellent, Wood, Carbon farming

Description

Seeds can be eaten both raw and cooked. They have a sweet and distinctive flavor that is perfect for desserts and are commonly used in pastries and cakes. It can be tricky to remove the core from the seed pod, and the oil extracted from it can go rancid quickly. Unripe fruits can be pickled. The seeds grow either solitarily or in pairs and have a diameter of 3-4 cm. Be careful, as the nuts can leave permanent stains on clothing. Edible oil is extracted from the seeds, which has a sweet taste but can spoil quickly. It is used as a flavoring in bread, pumpkin, and other foods. The juice from the structure can be drunk or concentrated into syrup or sugar. This juice can be tapped in the spring.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/10
Harvest ends: 15/11

Crown

Crown shape: Broad pyramidal
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 36332; name ID 2331809; Juglans L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 474350; name ID 2331834; Juglans nigra L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Juglans nigra

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2259957, ID 6NFM9: Juglans nigra L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Juglans nigra — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 50 ft. 0 in. - 75 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 50 ft. 0 in. - 70 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .