Seasonal Wild Flowers

Latin name

Juglans regia

Family

Juglandaceae

Flowering season

June (some sources have it flowering earlier)

English distribution

It grows everywhere except for parts of the far Southwest

and the North.

See the BSBI distribution map for Walnut

Habitat

It is a neophyte which has been grown in the UK since

Roman times, but not recognised in the wild before the

1830s.

It is planted in amenity areas, gardens, farms, hedgerows

and woodland.

The fruits can be self-sown and this may be helped when

squirrels bury them.

Self-sown plants grow in woodland, rough grassland and

waste ground.

Description

Walnut is a large deciduous tree that can grow up to 35m.

Male and female flowers appear on the same tree.

They have 5 sepals and no petals.

Male flowers are on green catkins which are up to 15cm.

They have many stamens and pollination is by wind.

They form in April and May and open in June.

Female flowers are on short erect spikes. 

There are 2 large stigmas with serrated edges.

The fruit is a wrinkled, single nut inside a green, fleshy

husk.

The nuts are released when the husk rots away.

The husk is covered in aromatic glands and if you handle

them your hands become stained brown like a long-term

smoker.

The leaves are made up of a terminal leaflet and 3 to

4 pairs of leaflets.

Leaflets are elliptic and up to 15cm.

The leaflets are also dotted with aromatic glands.

Walnut wood is used commercially, both for

timber and walnuts.