Rodger Whitlock wrote:

On Fri, 28 Feb 2003 11:05:33 -0000, "td"
wrote:

I am looking to obtain the fruits of a Black walnut tree.

If you want to eat them: the juices in the fleshy surround to the
nuts (pericarp?) will stain your skin brown.

Though you can wait for Autumn until they drop to the ground and wear gloves to
collect them.
Squirrels are a major problem if you want to eat more than a small fraction of
the crop.

You also end up with small walnut trees everywhere planted for you by the
forgetful squirrels.

If you want to grow them: Juglans nigra is notorious for
preventing other plants from growing under its canopy and within
reach of its roots. They seem to poison the soil.

I know that in theory they do, but some plants will grow underneath ours quite
happily.

Even lawn and narcissi will grow within a few feet of the trunk. I suspect in
drier conditions the toxins it produces and the dryness underneath the canopy of
big leaves makes more of a difference to competition but in the UK or Belgium
with copious rain it seems to be less of a problem.

Regards,
Martin Brown