# Walnuts (*juglans*)

Walnuts are delicious nuts that grow inside hard shells. They are a great snack for both kids and animals!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Walnuts grow in forests and orchards, where they get plenty of sunlight and space.
- **Also known as:** California Walnut

![Walnuts](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Juglans_major_Morton.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Bruce Marlin, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Juglans_major_Morton.jpg)

## Appearance

The Walnuts is a large, deciduous tree with broad, spreading branches and pinnately compound leaves. Its characteristic fruit is a round or oval nut encased in a hard, woody shell, often with deep ridges.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans called walnuts 'Jupiter's Royal Acorn' for their rich taste!
- The green outer husk of a walnut can be used to make natural dyes!
- The wrinkly shape of a walnut kernel famously resembles a tiny brain!
- Walnut trees can live for hundreds of years, some over a century!

## Special abilities

- **Allelopathic Roots:** Walnuts release a chemical called juglone from their roots and husks that can inhibit the growth of nearby competing plants, helping them dominate their space.
- **Protective Shell:** Walnuts have an extremely hard shell that protects the nutritious kernel inside from being easily eaten by predators before it can sprout.
- **Energy-Rich Seeds:** Walnuts produce high-fat, high-protein nuts that provide vital energy for animals, encouraging them to disperse the seeds far and wide.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 1500-4000 cm
- **Spread:** 1000-2000 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.5-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** Yes
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Wind

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Grey Squirrel (*Sciurus carolinensis*) — Cracks and eats walnut nuts
- **Eaten by:** [American Crow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-crow) (*Corvus brachyrhynchos*) — Drops walnuts to crack them open
- **Depends on:** Walnut Husk Maggot (*Rhagoletis completa*) — Larvae feed inside the walnut husk
- **Depends on:** Walnut Blister Mite (*Phyllocoptes juglandis*) — Causes galls on walnut leaves

## Traits

- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

Always ask an adult before eating any nuts.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Walnuts?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Walnuts?

1500-4000 cm

### How wide does Walnuts spread?

1000-2000 cm

### How big are the flowers on Walnuts?

0.5-2 cm

### When does Walnuts bloom?

Spring

### Is Walnuts edible?

Yes

### Is Walnuts toxic?

None

### What is Walnuts's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Crooked Creek Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/crooked-creek-park) — Virginia, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Walnuts: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/walnuts)