Plants That Can Survive Near a Black Walnut Tree?

Q: I am wondering about other folks who might be dealing with black walnut trees. Has anyone found anything that grew well around them? I've researched a lot, but was wondering about some additional plants that might work.

Hardiness Zone: 5b

Kathy from Buffalo, NY

A: Kathy,

I'm not sure what your research has turned up so far, but if you're looking for plants to grow around your tree that are tolerant of juglone here are some more ideas.

• Flowers: aster, astilbe, bee balm, begonia, black-eyed Susan, bluebell, calendula, crocus, daylily, ferns, grape hyacinth, some hosta varieties, hollyhock, impatiens, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Jacob's ladder, marigold, morning glory, pansy, phlox, Siberian iris, squill, sweet woodruff, trillium and zinnia.
  

• Vegetables: beans, beets, carrots, corn, melons, onions, parsnip and squash.
  

• Shrubs and Vines: arborvitae, bittersweet, black raspberry, clematis, currant, forsythia, euonymus, greenbrier, hackberry, most honeysuckle, pachysandra, rose-of-Sharon, sumac, most viburnum, Virginia creeper, wild grape, wild rose, willow and witch hazel.
  

• Grasses: fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, orchard grass, soybean, timothy, wheat, and white clover.

This list was put out by the University of Wisconsin, which is in Hardiness Zone 5A.

Good luck.

Ellen

About The Author: Ellen Brown is our Green Living and Gardening Expert. Click here to ask Ellen a question! Ellen Brown is an environmental writer and photographer and the owner of Sustainable Media, an environmental media company that specializes in helping businesses and organizations promote eco-friendly products and services. Contact her on the web at http://www.sustainable-media.com

Answers:

Plants That Can Survive Near a Black Walnut Tree

Are you looking for a foliage (like ferns) or just a grass seed? The only thing that I have seen (besides grass and creeping charlie/clover) is morning glory, at least on the stumps, and I think there may be some kind of ferns. If all else fails, you may want to put containers around it. I know they make the soil's ph very acidic. (05/18/2006)

By Kelly

Plants That Can Survive Near a Black Walnut Tree

I live in San Antonio, TX and under my black walnut tree, everything I have planted grows. I have fern, nandina, unbrella grass, pitisporium. Nothing has been affected by the tree, contrary to what everyone said about not growing anything under the tree. There is also St Augustine grass which has no problem with the tree either. (05/18/2006)

By ckschmidt

Plants That Can Survive Near a Black Walnut Tree

My parents (from Upstate NY) had a black walnut tree that grew in between their lilac bushes and the lilacs grew just fine with blooms and all, so you might want to try lilacs.
(05/31/2006)

By Michelle