Black Walnut
3 Columbia Drive
The Black Walnut Juglans nigra tree is native to eastern North America. Although out of its hardiness range, in recent years it has occasionally been planted here as a street and yard tree. Black Walnut is one of the most coveted of hardwoods. The straight-grained wood is used for fine furniture, veneer, and specialty products like gun stocks. The fruit provides food for both wildlife and humans. While the nut of the Black Walnut is edible, the nuts are not those available commercially in grocery stores. Those come from the English Walnut Juglans regia.
Walnut trees produce a natural herbicide, juglone, in the roots and to some extent in the leaves, bark, and wood. Other plants growing within the root zone of the tree may be injured or killed, but not all plants are sensitive to juglone. The hull of the nut of black walnut is used to make a medicine for treating parasitic worms and other infections.
Alternate location: 402 Spruce Drive