If you cannot plant daisy bulbs in your garden or yard, or if your soil temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, consider planting them in a container. These low-maintenance plants add a happy touch to wildflower gardens or full-sun planting areas. To grow and care for these iconic plants, follow expert tips for sun, soil, water, pruning, and dividing. There are numerous daisy varieties, including English, Shasta, ox-eye, Gerber, African, and painted daisies.
Choosing the best daisy for your garden depends on factors such as hardiness zone, location near the ocean, desired garden aesthetic, and time spent in the garden. Daisies are fast growers, making them ideal for filling empty spots in a garden and being bee attractors. Planting, growing, and caring for daisies is fairly easy, with shasta daisies being a popular choice.
Planting under trees with low or spreading branches is more restricted, and it may only be possible to grow plants at the edges of the canopy. Common ivy is a great choice for this purpose. Trimming away lower branches will provide more space for planting and allow light to come in under the tree. Irises are a great choice for underneath deciduous trees because they bloom earlier in the season and should not be planted deeply.
After preparing the area under the tree, carefully dig small planting holes for flowers or ground cover plants using a sharp hand trowel. Daisies prefer rich, fast-draining soil, plenty of water, and ample sunshine, which means healthy roots for your daisies.
📹 Top 5 Best Plants to Grow Under Trees | Garden Trends 🍃🌿
Hi Buddies ! This time, I’ll show you video about Top 5 Best Plants to Grow Under Trees | Garden Trends …
Welke planten doen het goed onder een boom?
An appropriate planting scheme for a boomshadow should include a variety of plants, such as the women’s mantle, the harebell, the marsh marigold, and the hart’s tongue, as well as bulbs such as the snowdrop, the hyacinth, and the prairie hyacinth. For further information, please refer to our blog or consult our range of plants and flowers. The veracity of this information is attested to by Modeste Herwig.
Wat moet je niet naast appelbomen planten?
To avoid stifling apple trees, it is essential to clear the grass at least a foot or two from the trunk and the area extending from the trunk to the outer edge of the drip line. This will support the new tree and give it the best chance of success. Additionally, there are several plants that boost fruit production and stifle weeds. To plant apple trees, learn to keep the grass from getting too close to the trunk, as grass inhibits fruit production. If you can’t stand bare earth, consider planting a variety of plants that can boost fruit production.
Zal de kruipende eik andere planten verstikken?
Creeping Jenny is a popular choice for large areas where it can grow freely. It is a viney, carpeting groundcover with lime green leaves, runners, and vines that creep along and root onto surfaces. It is characterized by small oval leaves and tiny yellow flowers in the summer. However, it can become invasive if not properly managed. Creeping Jenny thrives in full sun to part shade with medium to wet soil, even shallow, rocky ground. It is a great option to dress up river or pond banks, but should be kept away from more vulnerable plants.
Welke bloemen groeien het beste onder bomen?
Perennial bulbs like snowdrops, crocuses, grape hyacinths, winter aconites, Siberian squills, snowflakes, bluebells, and early blooming daffodils thrive under trees. These beautiful plants form a carpet of flowers dancing in the dappled light. If left undisturbed, they will emerge year after year or gently multiply if given the right light conditions and proper drainage. However, height, bloom time, and color may vary in different climates, and descriptions are based on various external sources.
Waarom geen hortensia bij de voordeur?
Despite its popularity, there is a substantial body of evidence indicating that planting hortensias in proximity to rivers is detrimental. This belief is firmly established in the traditions of ancient lore and the principles of Feng Shui, which posit that the placement of plants can affect the surrounding energy and the vitality of the plant.
Welke planten groeien goed onder een boom?
An appropriate planting scheme for a boomshadow should include a variety of plants, such as the women’s mantle, the harebell, the marsh marigold, and the hart’s tongue, as well as bulbs such as the snowdrop, the hyacinth, and the prairie hyacinth. For further information, please refer to our blog or consult our range of plants and flowers. The information presented here is the result of research conducted by Modeste Herwig.
Wat is de beste bodembedekker om onkruid te onderdrukken?
Thyme, a deer-resistant, hardy ground cover, can be used to suppress weeds and create a beautiful, fragrant landscape. It grows densely and requires a sunny spot with good drainage. Red creeping thyme, a deer-resistant perennial, can be planted along pathways or as a lawn substitute for small spaces, providing colorful flowers. Cranesbill, a deer-resistant ground cover, is heat and drought-resistant, not subject to insects or diseases, and blooms prolifically from spring to fall.
It is easy to control and spreads slowly, making it easy to contain in smaller areas. Bugleweed, a bold evergreen ground cover, provides color and texture in gardens lacking color or texture. Its bright-blue blooms in late spring and early summer complement its evergreen foliage, making gardening a breeze. Bugleweed is low maintenance, requiring only planting and enjoying.
Wat plant je onder een appelboom?
In the vicinity of the appeal tree, the Old-Indische hunters utilize gourds and African influences to shield the tree from both wind and noise. Additionally, narcissus bulbs are observed to be present within the soil. The hills were warm and covered in gold when the tree was still green. Other hills, such as those planted with botanical tulips, snowdrops, or crocuses, are also meticulously tended.
Wat is de beste bodembedekker boven boomwortels?
To address exposed tree roots, remove remaining grass around the base and replace it with a thick layer of mulch. Shredded or chipped hardwood bark is recommended, but avoid stained varieties as they can damage tree roots. Another option is to replace grass with a non-mowing ground cover, choosing a taller one to discourage foot traffic. When planting the new cover, ensure it doesn’t harm major tree roots.
While adding more soil around the tree’s base may provide temporary relief, it can cause further damage over time. Adding mulch or ground cover is a better long-term solution to address exposed roots.
Welke bodembedekker houdt onkruid tegen?
Bodembedekkers are essential for preventing soil erosion on a road. They are a breed-uitgroeiende plant group that prevents soil from slouching due to the roots of their kruipened leaves. This prevents soil from dripping, as the bladerdek of the plant absorbs the soil completely. The result is that soil can no longer absorb sunlight, causing soil erosion.
The best bodembedekkers are found in the garden, where the warm, warm ground allows plants to grow faster in the spring. By planting these bodembedekkers in the garden, you can be more confident in achieving a high-grooved tapijt. These plants not only prevent soil erosion but also ensure that the ground does not slout due to the roots of the plants.
Waar kunnen boomwortels niet tegen?
It is inadvisable to glaze the ribs; rather, they should be cooked with a clear head. The use of other terms than “meehobbelen” with and over the ribs is not conducive to the optimal outcome for beneden. The optimal approach is to use “meehobbelen” with and over the ribs.
📹 Some Thoughts About Planting Under Black Walnut Trees 🌳👍// Garden Answer
Affiliate/Sponsored LinksHey guys! Sorry about the crummy audio quality in this video- I forgot to turn on my mic!
Is anyone else impressed that Laura did an entire article on a subject that has nothing to do with her? All that research and information and then analyzing and synthesizing it just to help her viewers who do have that problem. It’s such a kind thing to do and demonstrates her leadership and commitment in this space. As another commenter mentioned, I don’t have a walnut tree, but I watched the entire article … because I’ll watch anything she does! 😃😃😃
Thank you, thank you, thank you for helping get the word out that black walnut toxicity is not what it’s made out to be. Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott’s paper also points out something very important: the research on juglone on which we’ve all been relying and repeating doesn’t exist. “Thus, the entire body of primary evidence for black walnut allelopathy in the landscape is attributed to two dated Extension publications, one that has been withdrawn from circulation and one that doesn’t exist. These are not reliable sources of information and should not be cited as evidence for juglone toxicity, especially in peer-reviewed journal articles.” Unfortunately we’ve spent so much time pounding this into other people’s heads, that trying to suggest that, as you point out, it’s much more likely to be a problem with soil conditions and planting under big trees is often met with, well, I’ll be generous and call it skepticism but it’s often accompanied by downright hostility. Anyway, kudos on getting that facts out there!
I appreciate the amount of research you’ve put into this article. I garden in a 6a zone and have a large Black Walnut tree at our border (so technically it’s the neighbor’s tree). I created a shade garden underneath and played the trial and error plant game for about 5 years. I lost one azalea, replaced it, and noticed the second one struggling. After doing my own research, I found azaleas on the sensitive-to-juglone list. I moved said azalea to another part of the yard and now it’s thriving. I’ve also moved my tree peony, oak leaf hydrangea and columbines since they were all living but not thriving. However, my hostas, heucheras, daylillies, phlox, bee balm, tulips, and bearded irises love their location. No need to fear these beauties as you (and so many others) have noted. Awareness just helps us figure out better companions. : ). I’m planning to plant a weeping redbud and several hellabores this spring. My husband is about to put a block on these articles because my “must buy plant list” is increasing in equal proportions to Laura’s articles. Lol!
I love this so much. I have a small urban jungle with a MASSIVE black walnut tree. I can’t agree more with you. It is massively over-hyped and it can discourage beginner gardeners, especially here in Buffalo where black walnuts grow like weeds. Whenever a new homeowner or beginner gardener tells me they don’t even bother trying because they have one. I always whip out my Instagram account and show them article of my garden. There is definitely a learning curve, but my advice is to find a local garden center that is knowledgeable about juglone-tolerant plants. My shade garden brings me so much joy. It can be done. All of your suggestions are great and i have most of them in my garden!
I live in NE Kansas, and black walnuts are everywhere on my property. I totally agree with everything you said, #1 being soil quality front and center. Around here, a black walnut I swear will grow in anything-horrible clay base to the most wonderful soil. And it is under those trees in poor soil where I see the lack of other vegetation, or very little. When I started putting some of my livestock bedding compost piles under those trees with clay base soils, in a couple of years I started seeing other vegetation moving in. That’s been 25 yrs ago, and I have wonderful grassy areas under them now. Thank you Laura for you wonderful articles! You keep me going when our Kansas weather has me dressed in multiple layers of wool!
We have about 20 black walnut trees growing on our property in different areas. Some of the plants that grown under them or near drip line of them for us here in central Virginia are iris, raspberries, hostas, vinca, sedum, hydrangea, wild flowers, moss, barberry, liriope. We did have to cut one black walnut tree down at the corner of our garage because from September ’til November we could not use the garage or the section in front of garage because it was a hardhat area and sure will put dents in cars. And thank you for all the info you share with us.
This subject is so timely for me as I have just made the decision to remove a young black walnut. An unusual willowy stick showed up a few years ago and, as with some other volunteers, I decided to let it grow for a while. It was at the edge of a bed that was badly in need of a re-do. Over a few years it grew tall, provided a bit of much needed shade, and had a very interesting shape so I decided to leave it. Then last year it produced lots of strange looking pods and it wasn’t until the end of summer that I finally identified it- and got dark, long lasting stains on my hands from curiously cutting a pod open! I’ve grown to love it but it has to go. I discovered that the bark and the fruit can be fatally toxic to my dog! The wood will go to a friend who makes beautiful pens. And thanks to you, I now have added resources for replanting.
Thank you for putting in the time and effort to throughly research this issue. Unfortunately the internet is a spectacular tool for spreading disinformation, and many people do not look on things like this as critically as they should to judge whether it is valid (I.e. supported, or at a minimum, cited). As a relatively new owner of several black walnuts, I really appreciated this! And also that you stressed that other environmental factors (light, soil, etc) play a significant role in your success as well. Thanks and keep up the great work!
I loved this article! We have several Black Walnut trees in our backyard and I have to say, I really do not like them, the nuts are so messy. However, perusal your article did spark much interest and has given me a few ideas to further help the area where they grow. I have tried several different plants and finally gave in to only planting things that were suggested. My plants that do really well are Bleeding Heart, Astilbe, Daisies, Ferns, Phlox, Hostas, Sweet Woodruff and Forget-Me-Nots. I had one white hosta that did not like the area so I had to move it. I will try the one hydrangea that you mentioned, I tried others that did not like the area. I would love more information on how to test the soil and improve this area. Thanks Laura!
We have gardened under a black walnut for 30 years and have dealt with the toxicity, the first time we realized the problem was with a blue spruce it died a couple of years after we planted it so we replanted another one and it also died. Then I happen to come across an article in a magazine on walnut trees and it’s effects. Since then have had success with phlox, hibiscus, Hosta, sedum, daffodils, boxwood and daylilly, red bud trees grow well too. But the tree is messy and we finally took it out this last fall (it was in our front yard next to the sidewalk and was easy to twist an ankle trying to doge walnuts, falling and on the sidewalk). It is a nice tree other than the walnuts!
Last year I lost just about my whole garden spread out throughout my yard. It started at the bottom and working it’s way up the plant with each set of leaves turning black and dying. Some plants held out longer than others but in the end a pretty significant amount of annuals and perennials died. I sent pictures and info to a site that has different extension services answering questions. One person asked if I had walnut trees around or if my mulch was made with walnut trees and was sure this looked like it would be caused by them. Since I do t have any walnut trees on my property or close by I did t give it another thought, everyone else was stumped because it was spread throughout the yard in different soil areas. The only thing we could figure is it was some sort of fungus I had transferred with my clippers or gloves (lesson learned to carry a spray bottle of bleach water to disinfect my blades in between plants). This fall I was digging everything up and found a ton of black walnut shells buried throughout all of my garden beds throughout the yard, where I had the hardest hit areas was where there were more shells. I do t know if it actually was the cause of my loss but it sure is a coincidence that the extension lady was sure it was walnuts and I found shells. Darn chipmunks.
I can’t begin to tell how helpful and Informative this article is! We have a black walnut on our property line tree belongs to our neighbor. Countless landscapers I have consulted in the past told us we could never grow anything in that area. So this space has been dead space for years. And I have unfortunately come to think of this tree in a negative light. I am so happy I now have the correct information. I can now appreciate this tree for all it has to offer and will be planting a full bed along the property line this Spring/Summer!
We have four towering black walnut trees on our property and had never heard of any related toxicity. Two things we can say: we’ve had several offers from folks who want to pay us to cut down the trees so they can use the walnut wood; and two, those walnuts HURT when they barrel down from the branches and hit your head!!!
I have three Black walnuts in a semi-grouping in my backyard. Two of them are the bases for my hammock! But as far as planting, I have tulips that grow just fine under this canopy but my six peonies have always struggled…I wonder if juglone is the explanation? I am going to give my peonies extra attention this Spring and see if they still fail from full producing. I live in Zone 7 (East Tennessee) and have learned so much from your articles. You and Aaron are producing high quality and professional information, and I thank you! Keep up the great work and I appreciate the inspiration and shared knowledge.
I don’t have a walnut tree but I love this article so much. I love that you went all ‘sciency’ on us, looked up scientific articles and was able to give us a fact based very well made short presentation on the topic. That’s why I love gardening so much, it combines art and science together so well! Please keep these articles coming for us plant nerds!
We have so many BW our yard and it has been a difficult journey to figure out. I love hydrangea, and decided to plant some on the west side of my barn, (the trees are on the south east side of it. They all died despite my greatest efforts and research. What I realized is that the squirrels had been using my flower bed to hide the walnuts! So this article makes sense. Not only do you need to protect your raised beds (how we grew tomatoes) from leaves in the fall, but the walnuts shells are toxic to some plants as well.
We bout an old house and the walnut tree was planted around the late 1930s. It’s massive! Under that tree I have thousands of naturalized snowdrops daffodils, crocus, and things that I don’t know what they are. There is also Canterbury Bells. There is also a very persistent Rose that wants to grow but it is a very weird location so we ignore it. All these things have been there a long time. Outside the drip line is filbert, pear, plum, wisteria and roses. Thanks for the info!
Thank you Laura for tackling this subject even though you don’t have to deal with it. I have one very large black walnut tree for the past 45 years. This year it will be coming down because it is dying and large limbs are falling. These are the plants that have grown near or under it. Holly tree, ferns, daffodils, forsythia, hardy geranium, Dutchman’s britches and azalea.
Fascinating! I moved into a house with many black walnuts bordering our lawn over 3 years ago and have found challenging because my favorite plants (lilac, peony, roses) are not recommended. I have also read that certain fruit trees don’t respond well- thankfully the soil is really great and I have found very few issues so far (except for peonies, rhododendrons and columbines).
Our raised garden bed area (inherited from a previous owner) is near a neighbor’s black walnut tree and I’ve come to the conclusion that the walnut tree must be the reason I just cannot get tomatoes to grow there. My hot peppers have done *okay*, but not great. I feel like I’ve tried everything to amend the soil and make the garden happy but nothing has worked. Trying both tomatoes and peppers in fabric 7-gallon planting bags this spring to see if that solves the problem. Thanks for the info, it’s helpful!
Great info – thank you! We have a black walnut tree and it was shocking the amount of walnuts dropped last fall, meant for lots of picking up. We found that if we don’t clean them up they burn the grass underneath. Looking forward to less snow in my area so we can get out in the garden. Living through you right now. 😂🥰🙌
I do have black walnuts. I really appreciate this article. I have hackberries that naturally occur along side black walnuts. I had read that they can’t survive. I also have red buds that self seed along side black walnuts. I recently read that hemlock can survive, so I’ll be trying those in the spring . Of course my other problem is deer. So my beautiful host as that used to survive, are now munched to the ground by our over abundant deer population.
Thank you so much for this!! We moved into a new property in January of this year and have a huge black walnut tree in the backyard. We debated on getting it cut down, but it gives such great shade. We are in zone 6a Ohio and heard it may affect other growth. But I planted a small flower bed near the tree and it’s doing well. We got a gather too to keep the rotting walnut pods up this month and it works great!!
When we moved to this house in 1980 there were 10 Black Walnut trees of various ages in the back yard. The yard had a huge in-ground vegetable garden and loads of grass. I would say the people that lived here weren’t growing people, but someone in the house loved having a vegetable garden. When I started taking stock of the conditions in the yard, I found that under all the trees in the back yard there were areas that had thick grass and other spots where vegetation was in short supply. I went to the local extension service and asked about soil testing. I had never had to deal with toxic trees nor the type of soil (very poor) that I was finding. The service was invaluable to me in helping me start with a better idea of what I was dealing with and one of the things that I was told that I would need to be picky when it came to the older black walnuts. I was never really told why, just that some plants would not grow well under them. I was not surprised. Your discussion is just about what I found, through trial and error. You have saved some black walnuts and for that I thank you so much… the squirrels thank you even more. (Grin)
Great information Laura! Thank you for doing the research for your viewers. While I was growing up, we had a black walnut tree, and my parents seemed to be able to raise flowers, both annual and perennial, as well as some vegetables. I don’t think they must have had any issues with it, at least none that they talked about. There must be black walnut trees in my neighborhood because the squirrels have planted several in my lawn. Goofy little critters!
Thank you for this article, Laura! We have 2 large 50+ year old black walnut trees in our back yard (Zone 6a) and just started developing gardens around (and under) them within the last 5 years. I didn’t know there was a problem with the trees being toxic until after we started the process of creating these gardens. Needless to say, when I did find out I was full of fear that all our hard work and labor would result in a bunch of dead plants. I researched it and found like you have also found, that most of it is over rated. I did select plants based on the “ok to plant” lists, that my local garden center provided to me. So far, everything is doing well and seems to be very happy. We did amend the soil as we put the gardens in. It just made me feel so much better hearing you say it and reading the resources you were providing to me on screen. My husband and I love these 2 walnut trees. They provide homes for our birds in the summer, food for our squirrels in the winter and they have such an elegant yet robust structure and when the fruit is on the branches, the branches hang low and weep..its so pretty! Anyway, thank you so much!!
Not a pro at planting around black walnut trees but I do have some with plants underneath. We have clay soil so not well draining. We never amend the soil or fertilize and have a lot of thick green grass around the trees. Planted underneath each tree are varieties of purple, yellow and white iris. And they all come back every year for the past 5 years of living on the property.
Hello Laura! Thank you for this article:) I love your articles! I have learned so much and you super inspire me!(Planting lots of gomphrena this year! It looked so amazing in your garden!! I have a little experience with this BW topic 🙂 I am in Zone 5. I am sharing with you and others: My property is surrounded on three sides with black walnut trees…and lots of squirrels who love to replant the nuts!:)) It’s a struggle:))) I have been gardening for years and you are correct about no tomatoes( they will look quite nice even reaching over 2 feet and then just wilt and die suddenly – in my past experience. However, what I have had success growing in my soil is: Squash-winter and summer kinds, gourds, beans, peas, beets, radishes, swiss chard, cucumbers and herbs and chives. I have raspberry and blackberry bushes, grapevines, a small mulberry tree, a Bartlett pear and a plum tree. We did have a very large old red maple but took it out after it showed decay. There are also two pine trees. There are mock orange bushes, rose of sharon, roses, one black lace elderberry, lots of day lily’s, daffodils, tulips, snow drops and phlox. Also: heucheras, hostas, salvias, iris, black-eyed susans, bee-balm, goldenrod and echinacea and dahlias. Annuals: sunflowers, marigolds, zinnias. I have grass under my trees and daffodils, phlox, snowdrops grow under also. I grow my onions and garlic farthest away from trees in soil and I grow my peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, blueberry and other herbs in pots quite a ways away from the trees dripline.
Interesting research and it took us years to figure out why our trees were dying. We have 2.5 acres of what used to be a Christmas tree farm and the fir trees have been extremely hard hit as the black walnuts are coming up throughout the woods. I took pains to properly prepare soil for asparagus plants and the conditions seemed ideal. The next spring all the plants were dead. When we finally understood the impact of black walnut we converted our philosophy of dreading the black walnut to finding other trees and plants that do well together. There are a few great blogs about the beautiful coexistence under the black walnut canopy. And the squirrels are voracious lovers and spreaders of black walnuts and hulls…so we are not overly hyped or fearful…rather accepting of the natural environment.
I rented with a HUGE black walnut, which really should have been cut down because it has diseased. But it was the first time I really tried planting a vegetable garden (in my adult life), I didn’t have much of an option on placement because again, rented. I think the majority of my problems were soil, (although I did add tons of compost) but I had A LOT of issues with my veggies. I had almost no cucumbers, and no tomatoes. The potatoes grew, but were tiny. Pretty much anything I planted never grew. I was so discouraged, after 2 years I stopped. Then I heard about black walnut tree being hard to plant around. There were lilacs, which very rarely bloomed, and the one closest to the black walnut never seemed to grow, or bloom. We bought our own house and grew an organic garden last year, and everything grew beautifully.
I love your website Laura so thankful for all you do and teach us. It may be a little overhyped if you have one black walnut tree, however I have a dozen and there are more all over my neighborhood .with much Trial and error I have learned what works for me in my yard I do have a very Lush Garden but there are definitely things that will only last a year or two near a black walnut
We just covered this same topic in my Master Gardeners class and were told nothing will grow under or near a black walnut tree. Well….my neighbor has a black walnut tree right within 10 feet of my yard and I haven’t experienced anything. My garden is there and my hedge row of azaleas are there. Everybody’s growing just fine including the black walnut tree. 🌻💗🌻💗
A friend gave me money plant and comfrey and they thrive elsewhere in our yard and I pondered what I was doing wrong that certain ones were looking so upset! Then I noticed (finally) they do not like it under the black walnut trees. Also might explain why our lilacs are not thriving under there. Time to move some plants! Thank you for this. 🙂
It was very interesting that the study you mentioned points out that the juglone is primarily from roots and not as harmful with living trees. We cut down a black walnut in our yard where we are attempting to grow a fruit orchard. The four cherry and apple trees nearest the location of the walnut died rather quickly. I wonder if the decaying roots acted on the fruits, which were newly grafted and very young so not especially strong to begin with.
I have black walnuts and English walnuts. I have a quince (I believe) right under my largest black walnut and forsythia at it’s drip line, and both are doing great. I do believe that blueberries struggle and will move mine this Spring. It’s a very interesting topic. Thanks for sharing your research and thoughts 😄 Would like to add that both types of walnuts are super high maintenance with the constant barrage of walnuts, esp. black, and tons of leaves seasonally. But they sure are glorious trees for their shade, ease of care and sources of food and habitat!
I had just been researching this! I inherited my grandmother’s property and we cut down the walnut tree last year. I was wondering how long its toxic after cut down, we still have a stump. Hopefully will get the stump removed this year. 2 years ago I planted a hardy palm near it and it died in a few months. I planted another one at the same time in a different location and it’s doing well. I just recently found out about the juglone issue, had I known, I would not have put that palm near it.
THIS made my day!! I have 6 black walnut trees on one acre….cleaning up the walnuts is exhausting. Lol. I have a few things growing under the canopy that the previous owner had planted…really need to find out what kind of bushes they are because they haven’t faired well. Great job putting all of this together for us!!
I had no idea about this issue with walnut trees. I have many walnut trees in my woods. Nothing looks different around them then in other areas. Thanks for the topic. I find this so interesting. I enjoy learning more about our plants that we work with. Looking forward to this new season with you Laura.
I’ve successfully grown pumpkings and courgettes under a black wallnut. We have one in the field at our weekend cottage. There used to be a compost pile underneath it, so I levelled it out snd created a bed. My only problem was watering because it didn’t rain at all that summer and I could only water it at weekends. Drip was not an option because there’s no electricity in the field so I had carry buckets of water from the well. I did this for 2 years but I quit last year, it was just not worth the hard work.
I have a beautiful old black walnut in the middle of my 1 acre. Zone 6. Growing near a silver maple they share canopy space. Under the space I have vinca, hosta, columbine (reseeds it’s self), balsam (reseeds it self) and impatients, iris and peonies. However in the back of the yard previous owners removed walnut shells to a location where I placed a large sun perennial garden. I did not remove them, as I did not know of the problems this would cause. Nothing will grow in this small area. I finally gave up when the mint continued to do poorly and I just leave the area bare for statuary. I did put out a few seeds of castor bean vine which look beautiful, but we will see if they make the summer. I love that tree and it is the star of my yard/garden. I believe it lets other plants grow under it as a return of the love it receives! I am going to try a hydrangea just outside it’s drip line and hope it does as well as the peonies!
My neighbour has a 75 to 100 year old black walnut tree in the corner of his property, and due to the shape of the tree, most of the walnuts fall on my backyard. So far, I can attest to peonies not doing well (planted three before I knew about juglone, two came up, and at the end of the season I transplanted them as far away from the tree as I could. Hopefully this year they will do better). I am surprised by the mention of phlox doing well, as that did not do well for me under the tree. I do know that rudbeckia/black eyed Susan’s do well. I have read mixed things about bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, so I am curious about how to incorporate them…
Great article, definitely reflects a lot of my own research and the wide range of conflicting info out there. One prime example on my own property; we have a thriving stand of mature black walnut and sapling hackberries, which I have seen in collegiate papers listed as its own deciduous forest type, but I’ve also seen hackberry listed as not compatible at all! Our fields here are colonized by black locust first (nitrogen fixers) and once they reach a certain maturity the black walnut come in and use the locust as a kind of nurse tree, accelerating the forest succession.
I grew up with many black walnut trees in our front yard. Never a problem growing flowers around them. I wouldn’t recommend anyone plant these trees in a landscape. The walnuts have an outer covering that turns black and is awful to deal with in your yard. Plus if you want to crack these walnuts, you have to get all this covering off of the actual walnut. It is truly a mess and stains everything it comes in contact with. My Dad used to put the walnuts in the driveway and go over them with the car several times to help remove the coating. Then you could crack the nuts!!! The car didn’t budge the nut shells!!! One other thing, you need to pick these up before mowing or you have an even bigger mess. I do know! I did all the mowing. In my opinion, I wouldn’t wish these trees on anyone.
I have 6 walnut trees that are old n I do not know what kind they are. There are about 10 walnut trees going up alley. There are squirrels galore n they keep walnuts picked up. I have a bird bath that I keep full of water for squirrels. They never bother my garden. Up by my house is a walnut tree that has 2 Rose’s n a Japanese maple growing under it. Now I will get a few hostas n I have some sedum I can transplant as well as tiger lilies. Got work to do this year. Thanks for info
My veggie garden was once under walnut trees, never had a problem never new their was suppose to be a problem. grew veg their for years but lisening to you we wouldn’t have walnuts fell late and the garden was mostly done and we picked them up.I guess it depends on soil which was rich and taken care of we had tomatoes,green beans but was not directly under walnut, still have about 40 black walnut trees but no longer garden back their moved garden closer to house due to age and capubilaty.
Laura, I have been looking for a ground cover that existed between my childhood neighbors in the early 50,s, but can’t find it anywhere. It was a single stem plant that grew only 6-8 inches tall in a season, 1 inch thin leaves the entire length of the stem with midspring very tinny white blooms into summer, liked full sun mid morning to late afternoon. It came up every year for most of my childhood. It looks a lot like Pennycress, but P/c branches and gets taller. Maybe it was a hybrid of days gone-by. I have even searched weeds of north east PA., etc. Best to you and yours.
There is a young-ish native White Walnut (Butternut), which is thought to be similarly allelopathic, in a small patch of woodland adjacent to my property. The lot hasn’t been cared for and has become infested with all sorts of nasty, invasive stuff (Japanese Knotweed, English Ivy, Bryony). None of it grows under the Butternut. Stops dead in it’s tracks. Sadly canker will very likely come for this tree before it reaches maturity. Such interesting and beautiful trees.
I garden to the side of a black walnut starting about 15 feet from the trunk and out to about 50 feet. Two apple trees I planted maybe 70 ft away. Kale did terrible close to the tree but decent further away. I was able to grow broccoli on the far side of the garden from the BW. The Zinnas, Cosmos, Marigolds, Turmeric, Carrots, Beans all did well. Tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, peas did poorly. In my other garden they all did great but there is no BW. The year before corn and squash did well but last year I didn’t plant corn and had issues with my squash that I don’t believe were the BW. I have bee balm snd rosemary that seem to be doing well about 30 ft from the tree.
Thanks so much for the enlightenment. The root system of black walnuts extends beyond the drip line. I cannot grow tomatoes near the trees anymore where I used to grow them before the trees grew bigger. It is as if the tomatoes growth is stunted and they get diseased and die. Otherwise I have other plants that do just fine near the walnut trees-a dogwood tree, sedums, ornamental grasses, Arbirvitaes to name just a few. Thanks for doing all the research on this controversial subject.
My neighbour has a black walnut and it’s very close to our vegetable garden. And I can attest to the tomato, peppers and eggplant issue and possible even issues with grapes, pumpkins but I certainly didn’t notice an issue with all the provites that we had to dig out. 😆🥵 Though maybe BC they had been there for so long. Thanks for this random article. It’s an interesting topic specially when looking at vegetables. I’ll have to check out a vegetable loving list BC it’s so close to ours. Thanks again!
I think you need an Honorable Doctorate for this research and overall review and explanation of your opinion. It is spot on and extremely professional. I also have no black walnut, but am a nurse, and this science stuff interests me so much as I am sure it does many, many others. This is exactly what makes you a success. Bravo and God bless when you turn that 700,000 into 1,400,000! Write your paper, send to an extension type research division and also to a renown horticulture journal. Maybe you will get published. Voila! I am on your side young lady. You go, girl. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you for doing all the research for us and for using reputable sources. Social media has taken “word of mouth to a new level”. Because information is in print, does not make it accurate. University studies and Extension papers are not partisan. When someone says ” my uncle’s second cousin head of a man who said he heard you can’t plant anything around a black walnut tree, does not make it true. Very interesting articles.
We have three black walnut trees on the east side of our house. I have not had problems with plants around these trees. I have so many different plants and trees growing around the black walnuts. Lilacs, lily of the valley, roses, daffodils, bridal white spires, peonies. The list goes on. Mums. Just a huge variety. I have no idea what kind of soil we have. We have a very arid climate in southern Colorado. We have been in the home for 20 years. The trees came with the house.
I have young trees that the squirrels have planted. The original trees are or were in neighbors’ yards. Each year I have cut off the tops but I’m wondering if the roots underground are causing the problem. Also, what do you think of planting relatives of cabbage. Are broccoli, kale etc not as sensitive?
Good morning Laura. We have 3 on our property in north central Kansas. And have never had a problem with this. All my plants and garden work very well by my black walnut trees. I totally agree with you the talk about these trees have just been hyped up. I love that we can naturally feed our wildlife just watch out in the fall you might get bunked in the head lol. Have a great day!!
I put raised beds in the only sunny area in my small back yard. Planted tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, raspberries, asparagus. Tried to get something to grow for several years but they always died. Put in 12 rosebushes. Died. Called a guy to take down the three dead pines along the back and he pointed out the black walnut on my neighbors property. I ‘d been gardening for years thought I had lost my green thumb! Unfortunately the black walnut keeps getting larger and as it grows the canopy is bigger, the roots more extensive and more of my yard is effected. Now that I am aware I plant carefully. I had a huge beautiful oak leaf hydrangea but as the walnut grows it has declined as the roots must be encroaching on it. There are plenty of plants that are not effected– iris, gladiolus, zinnias, forsythia, squash, pumpkin, echinacea, hosta,, Virginia creeper, lily of the valley, jack in the pulpit, ferns, rudbeckia,
Great research and information – thank you so much. QUESTION: I had a eucalyptus (it froze) and was told nothing would grow well near it. Nothing grew near it. Everything seems to wither and die. Is that one of the plants that are toxic to others? Does it produce juglone in the soil? Nothing is still growing where it was planted and it has been over 5 years since it’s demise.
We have one BW tree dominating our back yard. I have never planted anything that would live there. It is sharing space with a Tartarian honeysuckle which is the size of a small tree and an invasive species. It was here when we moved in. We have heavy clay soil and no amount of compost will change that. We have lived here about 30 years and we have tried over and over and still get no results. This area was the Great Black Swamp of Ohio. I do all my gardening in raised beds on the other side of the house. It has killed a crabapple that we planted even outside the drip line. We planted two and the closest one died. There was a quince bush that did well and yew bushes that are doing super and that is all we have in that area. Both of those are farther away than the honeysuckle. And if you have one, you will have many “volunteers” planted by the squirrels, and I can’t get them out even with a Root Assassin tool sometimes. It is the last tree to leaf out in the spring, and the first one to drop its mess in the fall.
I just purchased a home in a small town and have 3 mature black walnut trees in my front yard. When I arrived I found 100 years worth of walnuts in all stages dropped in the yard. My first thought of the large fresh dropped green walnuts was the ankle hazards. I contacted a lawn service to come and clean up the walnuts and leaves of the 10 trees located on my standard city lot. The lawn guy assured me that the walnuts would “disappear.” A couple of weeks later, the lawn guy came by and buzzed my yard for 30 minutes and left. His wife assured me later that they picked up ” a lot” of walnuts but when I went out to inspect, i found the leaves wete gone, but most of the walnuts remained. To my horror, I found out what the lawn guy meant when he said the walnuts would “disappear.” He was rolling over the walnuts with the tractor to push the walnuts into the ground! I spent the rest of the fall days before the ground froze picking up walnuts, one-by-one with a grabby stick and a barrel. In addition to the freshly fallen walnuts, I was lifting the walnut truffles that had be pressed into the ground. My lawn is horribly bumpy and of black clay consistency. I hauled away 4 barrels full of walnuts. Since the ground has frozen, I have found another 3 barrels full of cracked walnut shells that the squirrels have pulled out of their hidey holes and snacked on. Imagine cleaning up the popcorn after the superbowl… every nice day, I try to get out for a couple of hours with the rake and barrel and clean up walnut shells and sticks from the yard.
I live in Ontario Canada and my neighbor that I back into has a black walnut tree that most definitely affected my vegetable garden. I didn’t realize what the issue was a few years back when my tomatoes started dying but have since learned alot about black walnut trees. I limited my veg patch to onions, garlic and beans and started growing my tomatoes and peppers in pots. Fast forward I didn’t like the look of just growing onions and garlic so last year I ripped everything out and did some research on line and planted a bee/butterfly friendly garden. And yes there are alot of beautiful plants that can coexist near a black walnut. Now I am very happy with the look of my garden. My other neighbor who is right next to the walnut tree has been amending his soil every year to very little success I’ve tried to explain to him that tomatoes won’t grow there and why but he’s stubborn and thinks he can so there you have it. As this walnut tree affects me directly I’m happy to share my experience and dos and don’ts.
Interestingly I never noticed that plants didn’t grow under black walnut trees – other than the shade issue and that he nut hulls if you don’t clean them up (and I don’t) will wreck havoc on grass – I always put that down to them being big and taking up space. Like if I threw rocks. Or golf balls all over the lawn. I do happen to have a rhododendron that I planted in the woods under a black walnut. And it’s still alive. It’s only struggles are honeysuckle and greenbriers. Which grow there. O problem as well
I have seven acres surrounded by black walnuts. They were there when my parents bought the home, 55 years ago. Nothing has grown under these trees except beautiful fluffy grass and Ragweed. Tomatoes must be at least 20 feet from the tree’s umbrella. My property is the old Grand River riverbed in Michigan. Everything grows very well, as long as it is not near or under the canopy of trees. You will not want to park a vehicle under the trees once they leaf out. Anything we have planted gets coated with an oil. Then they die. The grass dies under each walnut that drops in its thick skin. Once the skin cracks and rots, larger patches of grass dies. The shade and breeze they give is beautiful. The best thing to do with black walnuts is to fill a thermos jug with walnuts, skin and all. Pour distilled water over them to fill container. Cap and let sit for at least 6 months. The best black walnut stain around. When used just add more fallen walnuts leaving the old ones in there and add more distilled water. With black walnuts you will not have fleas or bugs. Only tent worms.
I’m north of Boston and here Norway Maples were considered allelopathic because you can’t grow anything under them, but that has been disputed. The root systems are dense and fibrous taking up moisture and crowding out other species. They are considered invasive also. Can we get a cottage garden (pallet walk) update this season? Thanks
Well my friends has a huge BW and she rakes up all the leaves, nuts etc….. she has a beautiful compost pile and one year we pulled some of that dirt to make a garden….. well, we planted all kinds of plants and the only ones that lived were the ones on the plants that do well under a BW list, the rest died….. so yes there is something to it. You just have to get creative….. you can do it better safe than sorry to use the ones that do well. Plants are expensive why take the chance.
Wow, Laura, you did so much research! And the lists will be so helpful! Thank you so much for your time spent on that! I did get soil tests but not directly under my B.W. tree canopies where LOTS of walnuts fall. That the soil is super dark and moist and in the past I’ve actually used that soil for planting in other areas because it looked so rich… oops!. This yr I’ll get soil testing done and amend per your suggestion. Also, will be more aware of other conditions such as sun exposure. You have helped a ton! Will be referencing this article on a regular basis!
Excellent article Laura! Thank you for breaking this down like a true scientist! As a former scientist and present software developer as well as avid gardener, I absolutely love your right brain creativity and left brain analysis working together. I do have a black walnut on my neighbor’s property with the canopy on mine. Beneath it I have several encore azaleas that have never performed as expected. In another part of the same side of the yard I have another group of encores, different variety, different amounts of water ( down hill off roof of house), and all morning sun. I have always felt it was these factors that made them perform better than the ones under the black walnut. Nevertheless, I have offered to help pay my neighbor to take out this tree! Those balls of walnuts flooding my front yard, and all the squirrels! From North Carolina zone 8!
Are there any reasons to not plant edibles near other plants? I remember being told when I was younger that you had to keep your veggie garden separate from the rest of your garden either because some plants will add hazardous compounds to your food or the fertilizer for non-edibles will cause the food to be dangerous for consumption. Had anyone else ever heard something like this or was I just incorrectly taught this as a child?
In my 20’s I lived in an old farmhouse that had about 30 mature(over 100 yr old) black walnut trees. We used to chase people out if our yard because they would come and steal the black walnuts. We had an agreement that we would sell nuts to a local tree nursery. One day I can home from a long weekend away and there was a tree company there just getting set up to cut them down. They said they had an order to come cut all 30 trees down. I never said they could be cut down. OMG! I called the police. It was crazy. I was never so happy to get out of the place. Those trees were the bane of my existence for a totally different reason. 🌳🌱
We have cut down all of our black walnut trees because of our horses. The ones without shoes on would founder. It was an on going problem until we figured out why and what was causing it. Also a friend had the same problem with her horse and the problem disappeared once the tree was gone. The pasture grass under the walnut trees is also really thin. Also the pollen is toxic.
While I agree that the juglone fear is a bit overblown I’m glad we’re having ours removed next week, not particularly because it’s challenging to plant-I’ve thrown all sorts of plants near it to see what thrives but because it’s quite old, definitely distressed and has become terrifying in a windy storm. I have ninebarks, viburnum doing ok near it. We are having the stump and much of the roots removed as well but mostly I’ll just be happy not to get whacked on the head by walnuts working near it. I think the squirrels will be mad at us for a while though 😂
Now I know why my tomatoes struggle in my veggie garden… some varieties do great but others barely grow or fruit… I have a large tall black walnut that doesn’t shade my veggie garden but does drop a lot of leaves and nuts in that area each fall. I’ll keep growing the varieties that seem to handle it. My peppers do fine but they are in raised beds while the tomatoes are grown straight in the ground. Always wondered though if veggies will take up any of the juglone, it is toxic to humans too not just plants…
I have a black walnut right on our border in the neighbors yard. For me, the very worst part is that squirrels bury, and consequently, unbury them everywhere. They are very messy. I have had no problems growing any plants in the vicinity. I agree that the soil matters most and I think the black walnut fear is extremely over hyped in my 17 yrs here, no issues.
I’m on 12 acres in the Ozarks surrounded by Black Walnuts and have never had a problem planting anywhere around them. Walking around them, is a whole ‘nuther thing… lots of sprained ankles stepping on the darn nuts. And I grow peonies well within the roots of black walnuts. (Not under the tree canopy, obviously)
I’ve grown up with black walnut trees.It has always been a common practice..Just don’t plant under them.our motto better to be safe than sorry.Its nice to know it’s possible to grow under them.I just think it will take many years or new generations to accept this news.To just have these delicious nuts are worth just letting them grow alone.It would be interesting to see how many have avoided planting under them.Sadly black walnut timber is so valuable that many people here and surrounding states have sold their trees.
Good morning all, we got ❄️ snow last night🤦🏻♀️& I just saw the green tips of my bulbs🌷yesterday. Walnut 🌳 trees are poisonous to 🐴 horses as well. Question…I’m planting fruit trees this Spring. I have numerous Spruce 🌲& Oak on my property. What type of soil should I be aiming to achieve for fruit tree success? 🍐🍑🍒🍋🍎
Growing up, we had a massive black walnut in our front yard that was technically on our neighbor’s property but whose canopy overhung more than 1/2 of our front and side yards. It was probably originally planted as a corner property marker when the neighbor’s house was built in the 1920’s as their 6ft tall solid wood fence was built right up to the flare of the trunk and ran between our two side yards. The falling walnuts were a horrendous mess. The round green jacket that surrounds the actual nut turns to a black goo as it decomposes so when the jacket splits open and expels the nut the casing remnants litter the lawn and kills the grass. The rock hard shell of the black walnut nut itself is a mowing hazard too. It was our job as kids to clear the lawn of nuts and casings before we mowed the grass but invariably we would miss a few that embedded into the soil when it fell more than 75ft onto the lawn. The lawnmower blade would pick up one of those nuts like a rock and shoot it out of the discharge chute like an armor piercing bullet. ! It was dangerous to every living thing!.
Will look on Google, but I always get confused with all the pros and cons people give. So maybe it’s a soil issue also. So beef up the soil and go for it? It’s not as if I plant a million dollars worth of plants, but I can try 5 and see if they make it and at what level they do well. My plantings would be on a slope, under oaks,. so even with that some may do better than others, because some will naturally be further away. The oaks are over 40 years old, so the drip line is way past the planting area. Thank you, Laura
I realize this article is 4 years old, but here is my experience none the less: Prior to knowledge about Black Walnuts, I put an extensive in-ground garden about 8 feet outside the canopy of a black walnut tree. First year was fine, but subsequent years I starting have mysterious die-offs. Third year and later, we have repeatable leaf-curl, wilting, and die-offs across nearly all plant varieties in those beds, ornamental + veggies: Tomato, Potato, Peppers, grapes, clematis, honeysuckle. All die back at the same time within 3 days suddenly. This has repeated for five years before I figured it out. Digging out my dead grape vines, I found walnut tree feeder roots has grown out about six inches directly under my beds. They were not there year one. The presence of Juglone in the soil is not perpetual. It suddenly comes into effect without warning as though the tree is responding to some type of stress. We can have healthy plants for two months, and then suddenly they all just die. The walnut roots will expand well outside the canopy if they are drawn by the moisture and nutrients from your garden. I so far successfully alleviated the problem by putting raised beds over the previous in-ground beds, with about 3 inches of hard packed carbon char at the bottom to act as a barrier between the yard soil, and my bed soil. This seems to bind any potential Juglone from below, and hold onto any residual moisture/nutrients which may leach down from the bed, and dissuade drawing any additional feeder roots.
There’s a forest of trees behind my house with multiple black walnut trees in it. They have killed other and multiple trees in that forest, as well as stuff (certain trees, fruit trees, bushes and other flowering plants) I’ve tried to put near them over the last 17 years. It’s killed Peach, Apple, Dogwood, Wigeria, Asiatic lilies, weeping Cherry, exc…
Nice material. Honestly, I was hoping Perhaps i have a different kind of walnut tree, but on my trees i do not see any other colour on the trees and their fruits, than green. Anyway, a few years back i’ve had only 2 walnut trees, but they started “inventing” the entire yard. Now I have around 30 or 40 of them, some of them very small. I never knew how dangerous they could be. .I can’t wait until next week to start cutting them all. Can not take chances if i deside to have grazing animals on my yard to get them poisoned. All the info on You Tube explains the possible results from “Planting and growing plans”. Wish there was somebody to say something about the grass and the other vegetation, already under the trees. Is it poisonous and is it dangerous for the farm animals to graze it. It would be very interesting if somebody give any info about the period of time the vegetation will be dangerous for the farm animals. The only facts I have so far is that my fruit trees are dying in huge numbers. No point for me to take a chance and continue playing roulette with the life of my fruit trees, plans and animals. As far as i can see, having a walnut trees in fruit tree garden and among a farm animals is simply irresponsible. I will love, if somebody can correct me, so i do not have to cut my walnut trees at all, but i am afraid that they just have to go. Thank you
The only experience that I have heard stories are from my mother in law – she tried for years to grow a garden just west of the house, she finally decided to move her garden to a new location. Come to find out that my husband’s Grandmother, when she lived in this house, had planted black walnut trees where my mother in law attempted to grow her garden! Now there is a empty building in that location! 🌿🌳🌰
I am curious as to what prompted you to research this topic. Are you planning to plant a black walnut? My only experience with walnut trees is that it invites the squirrells to your yard. That, in itself, is a good reason for not planting them. Getting rid of squirrells is an endless job. @gardenanswer
My whole property surrounded of black walnut trees. I HATE I cannot grow tomatoes, my main plant to grow. I’ve done bucket – raised bed to plant. tomatoes. All that work only to have squirrels plant walnuts in them. I can grow nice corn ; beans, melons and squash ughh Can’t have roses but I can grow rose of Sharon. Hostas Irish
very interesting! and i didn’t notice any audio issues, but i’m no expert it almost makes one want to plant a black walnut tree to accept the challenge and find something that will grow with it! alas, not for me – too small a yard and i don’t know that they even grow out here, lol… good luck to those who have them, and i hope you get a good discussion going on successes and failures!! and who gives a thumbs down on this? oy vey… if it’s not of interest, you can just move on, hahaha…
Check out Miracle Farms article about Black Walnut tree allopathy and his personal experience. He thought it wasn’t much of a problem until he (Stefan Sobkowiak) had a drought year and all the fruit tree around the black walnut trees died. One has to be a little suspicious of university research as they are supported, therefore influenced by big Ag chemical companies. Also it is impossible to control all the variables in nature (the soil, wind, microbes, water, weather, bugs, etc.), and it all changes year to year. Not many studies last more than a year or two, which diminishes their validity tremendously. Are you familiar with the book, One Straw Revolution by M Fukuoka. Interesting stuff.
We cut down our walnut not only because I was afraid of the toxicity but it was the most annoying tree in our backyard. It not only would shed its leaves but the walnuts and then the stems that hold the walnuts. It was a triple threat. Not to mention that the walnuts were like bombs when they fall. And then the walnuts would attract squirrels and eventually sprout more walnut trees if not picked up by hand. You can’t mow over them because then they’d shoot out like a pistol. I hate black walnuts
So all of what you read tells us that having better soil, more nutrient dense, and higher microbial activity, would mean the Black Walnut tree, in this case, would not be fighting with competing pants for nutrients. Potentially the competition for limited resources in the poor soil is what is likely to have the Black Walnut tree, in this case, release the jugalone.
We had three huge walnut trees at our second home – just lawn surrounding them but I absolutely hated those trees. The leaves and walnuts are a mess to clean up every fall. I found the walnuts themselves have a horrid smell. Even our home now we have neighbors with walnut trees and the squirrels bring the nuts into our yard to bury – the seedling trees have a deep taproot. All in all the black walnut is an unattractive pain.
I just watched a nice older article about English Cottage Gardens youtube.com/watch?v=4sSNNYBKPZs. The nearly 90 yr. old lady that grew the first garden said something Laura has said a few times. If there is something in your garden that you don’t like, give it to a friend or just get rid of it.