Walnut

Walnut (Juglans) - Stately trees of northern and eastern regions, among them being our noble European Walnut, a tree as well known to the ancients as to ourselves, and useful and beautiful in all ways.

Our Walnut (J. regia), like many other fruit trees, has been cultivated for so long that no one is clear as to its origin, but it is a tree of wide distribution in the East, and in countries where it is much cultivated has many varieties, differing much in size and in the tenderness of their shells, and even in earliness. Though the Walnut is not so much grown in Britain as in countries of S. Europe, it is very happy in some of our southern, western, and eastern counties, occasionally attaining fine proportions, especially on warm and chalky soil; but as we go farther north it becomes less and less likely to ripen its fruit, and in Scotland it has to be grown against walls. In parts of C. and S. Europe it is so much cultivated that the wood and fruit and oil produced by it form a principal source of commerce. There is very much of interest as regards the uses of the various products of the Walnut in countries where it is at home, but here we are concerned with its culture and beauty as a lawn, pleasure ground, or orchard tree, and in this way with us it does best in good and rather dry soils on calcareous base, though thriving in other soils.

The form of single trees is often very fine, as indeed it is as a group, and sometimes as a short avenue. It may also be grown as an orchard tree where the soil is favourable and there is plenty of room. The finest specimens are occasionally nearly 100 feet in diameter in spread of branch. The cut-leaved forms will appeal to some. Among the other species there are remarkable trees, but our common Walnut has in Europe so many good qualities that it is the best to plant, although some of the other species are good for collections of hardy trees, such as J. cineria, the Butternut, J. nigra, the black Walnut, both of America; the latter a very hardy, fine tree which would thrive in situations where our common Walnut might not be so free; J. mandshurica, of the Amoor region; J. rupestris, of the W. United States; and J. Sieboldi, of Japan; besides several hybrids between the common Walnut and other species.