Ontario Trees & Shrubs website

Black Walnut
Juglans nigra

Other common names: American Walnut

French names: Noyer noir

Family: Walnut Family (Juglandaceae)

Group: Walnuts

Distinctive features: Tree

Similar species:
  •   Butternut (Juglans cinerea) - has a large terminal leaflet.

  •   Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) - twigs and branches fuzzy.

  •   Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)


Flowers: Spring

Leaves: Alternate, Compound, Toothed;  Black Walnut trees have compound alternate leaves which are very pungent when rubbed, .

Habitat: Forests, Fields and Open Areas;  Forests, open areas.

Edible: Nuts are edible.

Books: Trees in Canada: 200   

Native/Non-native: Native

Status: Common.

Origin and Meaning of Names:
 Scientific Name: nigra: black


Photographs: 86 photographs available, of which 11 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.

Range Map is at the bottom of the page

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

A Black Walnut compound leaf.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

The end leaflet is sometimes missing. This is a good way to ID this tree and distinguish it from Butternut (Juglans cinerea).

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Here is what a grove of Black Walnut trees looks like.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Typical Black Walnut bark, on a mature tree.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

And a younger tree.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Winter twigs.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

A broken-off twig, showing the chambered pith.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Flowers, in June.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Black Walnut edible, although it's a lot of work to get at the meat inside, and there isn't much of it. On the left are young nuts just starting to grow in late June.

Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

This photo shows the inside of a nut that has been gnawed by squirrels, chipmunks, or other rodents.


Range map for Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.

(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website and is displayed here in accordance with their Policies)