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). It gets through winter everywhere at lower altitudes, but may not survive unprotected in a mountain garden.

How far from the house should Walnut be planted?

Plant it at least 4.5 m from buildings. Keep it at least 2.5 m from paving.

When does Walnut flower?

Flowering: April–June, green.

How much water does Walnut need?

Water need: medium. Drought tolerance: medium.

How much does Walnut cost?

It sells for roughly €10 to €130 in local shops, depending on size.

Walnut

Juglans regia

Walnut (Juglans regia) is a fruit plant. Light: full sun. Hardy down to -23 °C. Drought tolerance: medium. Sold in local shops from about €10.

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

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 4.5 m
Distance from paving	at least 2.5 m
Litter	Fruit, Leaves
Planting distance	1000 cm
For dogs	Mildly toxic (uncertain)
For cats	no data
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	from about €10

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

Sizes and prices available

The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.

Size	Typical price
60-80 cm	approx. €10
80-100 cm	approx. €30
120-140 cm	approx. €20
160-200 cm	approx. €30
160-180 cm	approx. €88
size not stated	approx. €23 – €130

Frequently asked questions

Data updated: October 13, 2026 · How our data is made

Appears in these lists

Plants that give shade Fruit trees and bushes Plants with edible fruit

Looks good next to it

Common yew

Taxus baccata

Heartleaf bergenia

Bergenia cordifolia

Winter heath

Erica carnea