Growing near black walnut

[jim]

Hi, There is a tree near my yard and I am not sure if its a black walnut or a (butter?)nut.Now I know that certain plants will not grow under or near a black walnut,is this also true for the (butter?)nut tree?The reason I ask is because last May I planted a weeping cherry about 20-25 feet from this tree and all was going well until this year I noticed it had buds but never blossomed.I dont know if it was zapped by frost or not, but before I get another I was wondering if a weeping cherry is one of the things that wont grow near these type of trees.Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance,

JIM

[jennakay]

I have been told that nothing will grow at all in a yard where there is a black walnut tree.

[Gideon]

Jim,

A number of trees produce the poison "juglone." This includes both the Black Walnut and the Butternut trees. Your neighbor should be able to help you definitively identify his tree type.

Some cherry trees are particularly sensitive to juglone poisoning and it is quite likely that your tree is in the very susceptible or somewhat susceptible category.

The facts that you strongly suspect a nearby juglone producing tree, that you have a cherry tree, and that your tree is well within the danger zone for a mature Black Walnut/Butternut would lead one to be extremely positive that you have identified the problem.

I'd suggest getting a positive ID on the offending tree, and verifying that your tree is susceptible (Google, garden nursery expert, garden center expert, local university staff, very reliable landscaper, smart neighbor, etc.). If you become 100% positive that your tree is getting poisoned, then attempt a transplant asap. You want your cherry to be at least 50 feet from the Walnut/Butternut, and 75 feet or more is much more prudent. Obviously, be very careful in the future when you plant anything in that danger zone. Some fruit trees (apple, sour cherry and pear in particular) and some vegetables (tomato in particular) are very susceptible. As a general practice, I would advise against putting any vegetable garden within the danger zone.

You may prefer to be pragmatic and just buy a replacement tree, especially since small weeping cherry trees aren't particularly expensive and there is a "cost" associated with your time and effort. Personally though, I prefer the challenge of attempting to save a living thing whenever reasonable.

Sorry about your bad luck.

Gideon

==================

jim wrote:

Hi, There is a tree near my yard and I am not sure if its a black walnut or a (butter?)nut.Now I know that certain plants will not grow under or near a black walnut,is this also true for the (butter?)nut tree?The reason I ask is because last May I planted a weeping cherry about 20-25 feet from this tree and all was going well until this year I noticed it had buds but never blossomed.I dont know if it was zapped by frost or not, but before I get another I was wondering if a weeping cherry is one of the things that wont grow near these type of trees.Any info would be helpful. Thanks in advance, Jim

[Emery Davis]

The process your looking for is called allelopathy. Personally, I think it unlikely that a cherry tree would have such a dramatic reaction, so I'd wait and see how it does. Google allelopathy+walnut, you'll get lots of hits, including this one which lists plants that are affected and those resistant to juglone poisoning. Black cherry anyway falls into the latter category. Anyway frost seems a more probable culprit, because your cherry probably hasn't had enormous root growth during only one season, to have enough contact with the juglans roots for an allelopathic reaction.

luck.

-E

[enigma]

"jennakay" wrote in news:5_Zbg.1616$ [e-mail]:

i have a dogwood that would dispute that claim. the grass under the black walnut is also doing ok. OTOH, the apple nearby slowly declined as the canopy (& root system) grew, and i cut it down. i had raspberries growing under the butternut, but butternuts don't produce as much juglone as the black walnuts. how close to the black walnut/butternut was your weeping cherry? if it wasn't under the dripline, it's doubtful the tree caused the problem. if it was just bud drop without bloom & the weeping cherry is growing leaves ok, it's also probably not the tree. my apple was fine on the side away from the black walnut, but as the black walnut grew, the apple had more & more dead branches. lee

[Phisherman]

My parents had 4 tall black walnut trees in their backyard and grew a variety of flowers, tomato plants, green beans, and onions. The walnuts make a mess every year, and stain everything it touches. I've heard similar claims about sunflower seed hulls.

[Gideon]

Emery Davis wrote ...Black cherry anyway falls into the latter category (those resistant to juglone poisoning).

=============

But what about the vunerability of the root stock used for grafted weeping cherry? I don't claim to be expert on cherry rootstock compatibility, and my copy of "Garner" doesn't provide any good hints. But I'm guessing that many weeping cherry trees are grafted to root stock which is vulnerable to juglone.

I do know that over 90% of the time when I've seen good cause to suspect "walnut poisoning", it has been true.

Gideon