What soil does Walnut grow in?

It tolerates these soils: average garden soil, clay, sandy, calcareous.

Hardy down to -23 °C (USDA zone 6, RHS H7). In the colder parts of the country (Podlaskie Voivodeship) it may not survive winter without protection.

How far from the house should Walnut be planted?

Plant it at least 11.5 m from buildings. Keep it at least 3.5 m from paving.

When does Walnut flower?

Flowering: April–June, green.

How much water does Walnut need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

Walnut

Juglans regia

Walnut (Juglans regia) is a fruit plant. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -23 °C. Drought tolerance: medium.

Illustration of Walnut — An illustration of the typical shape of the mature plant, not a photo.

What it's good for, and what it isn't

Walnut is a huge, long-lived shade tree that gives one of the most valuable crops of the garden in autumn, but plant it only where a crown 15 to 20 m wide has room. A seedling tree starts cropping late, often after 8 to 10 years, and grows very large; a grafted tree crops sooner and stays somewhat smaller. On one tree the male and female flowers mostly do not open at the same time, so a good crop needs another walnut or a pollinating variety nearby. Under its canopy many plants (tomato, potato, apple, rhododendron, blueberry) suffer because of the juglone it produces.

Watch out for

In Central Europe the biggest problem is the western walnut husk fly, which arrived in the early 2010s and is now everywhere: the maggots rot the green husk black, the husk sticks to the shell and the kernel darkens and shrivels. Spraying a large tree is hardly possible in a home garden, so infested fallen nuts must be collected daily and the ground under the tree is best covered. In wet years walnut blight (Xanthomonas) and Gnomonia leaf and fruit blotch also blacken nuts and leaves. Late spring frost often kills the new shoots and flowers, and young trees can freeze back in hard winters. Prune only in late summer, because it bleeds heavily in spring. Falling husks and leaves make a lot of litter, the husks stain hands and paving permanently, and the pollen is strongly allergenic.

Key facts

Light: Full sun
Water need: Medium
Care: Medium
Size after 10 years: 6 m × 5 m
Hardiness: down to -23 °C
Foliage: Deciduous
Flowering: J F M A M J J A S O N D April–June, green

All details

Group	Fruit
Light	Full sun
Size after 10 years	6 m × 5 m
Ultimate size	12–25 m × 12–20 m
Hardiness	down to -23 °C (USDA 6, RHS H7)
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Calcareous
Foliage	Deciduous
Flowering	April–June, green
Harvest	September–October
Self-fertile	no
Water need	Medium
Drought tolerance	Medium
Maintenance	Medium
Root aggressiveness	Medium
Suckering	no
Spreading	Low
Distance from buildings	at least 11.5 m
Distance from paving	at least 3.5 m
Litter	Fruit, Leaves
Planting distance	1000 cm
For dogs	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
For cats	no data
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data

Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 17, 2026 · How our data is made

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