jlavado
Full Member
Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:08 am
Location: Connecticut

Tree identification?

Hey everyone... I have had some pretty good success here trying to ID the various plants growing in the yard of the house I bought (the last one I posted was correctly ID'ed as grape hyacinths), and I was hoping I could get your help one more time. It is clear that the lady I bought the house from has no idea what she had. She told me that the grape hyacinths were "chives" and that this next plant is a "weed." Now that I have seen it grow and sprout leaves (and fruit / nuts) with my own eyes, I am beginning to doubt her once again. Somebody told me this could be a black walnut tree? It is rather young. I took some crappy pics with my cell phone. I hope I can learn more about this tree:
[img]https://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/jlavado/IMAG0021_zps4c0c03af.jpg[/img]

Here it is growing above my shed:
[img]https://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/jlavado/IMAG0022_zpsfa90c66a.jpg[/img]

And here is what it is bearing:
[img]https://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/jlavado/IMAG0023_zpsc862ef48.jpg[/img]

Any help would be appreciated!

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I think you were told correctly about the black walnut tree. When the nuts drop, crack one open. Inside the green outer shell will be the regular brown walnut shell.

jlavado
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Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:08 am
Location: Connecticut

When can I eat these? I am in CT.

tomc
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Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Dry them under cover for 4 weeks. Pound off (the easy part) the outer husk.

The nut shell of a black walnut. needs a vigorous pounding with a hammer, and a nut-pick.

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hendi_alex
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Location: Central Sand Hills South Carolina

Crack and remove the the meat from a few of those and you will REALLY begin to appreciate bagged black walnuts!

tomc
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Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

I have watched grown men place de-husked black walnut on a concrete driveway and drive over them with a truck to crack the nuts...

jlavado
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Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:08 am
Location: Connecticut

Well... I guess I won't find out this year... The squirrels took 'em before I could!

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Oh yeah, squirrels love them! I think my big old black walnut tree feeds the squirrels all year. But the squirrels plant them for you. The walnuts do not sprout unless they are planted. The squirrels bury lots of them to save for later and then they forget where they put some of them. The squirrels like to dig in the nice soft dirt of the planting beds, so I frequently have baby walnut trees pop up in my flower and veggie beds. But of all the thousands of walnuts it drops, those are the only ones that sprout, the ones that are nicely planted in nice beds.

I think it is a deal the tree and the squirrels have worked out: the tree feeds the squirrels in return for having some of its seeds all nicely planted in good spots.

jlavado
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Posts: 40
Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2011 12:08 am
Location: Connecticut

Ok so it's next year now and in CT. New nuts look ready to be picked but I'm not sure when the right time would be. Obviously before the squirrels get 'em this year...
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