California black walnut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids California black walnut |
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| California black walnut | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Juglans
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| Species: |
californica
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| Natural range | |
The California black walnut (Juglans californica) is a special tree or large shrub. It can grow to be about 20 to 49 feet tall. This plant belongs to the walnut family, called Juglandaceae. You can only find it growing naturally in California.
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Where It Grows
The California black walnut mostly grows in southern California. You can find it in the California Coast Ranges, Transverse Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges. It also grows in the Central Valley.
This tree likes to grow in mixed woodlands. It also thrives on slopes and in valleys where conditions are good. Sadly, new buildings and too much animal grazing threaten it. Some natural groups of these trees still exist in Los Angeles. You can see them in the Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood Hills.
The California black walnut also grows near rivers. It can form its own groups of trees. Sometimes, it grows mixed with California's oaks and cottonwood trees.
What It Looks Like
The California black walnut can be a large shrub. It might have one to five main stems. Or, it can be a small tree with a single trunk. Sometimes, the main trunk splits close to the ground. This can make it look like two trees growing together.
This tree has thick bark. As it gets older, the bark gets deep grooves or channels. Its leaves are large and have many smaller leaflets. Each leaf has 11 to 19 leaflets. These leaflets are shaped like a spearhead and have jagged edges. They do not have hair where the veins meet.
The tree produces a small, hard nut. This nut is inside a thick shell. The shell has shallow grooves and is quite difficult to open.
How People Use It
As Food
The nuts from the California black walnut are safe to eat. The Chumash Indians used to eat them. They lived on the Channel Islands of California and in Ventura County. These nuts are not grown to be sold as food today.
For Growing Other Walnuts
The California black walnut is grown in California for the walnut industry. It is used as a "rootstock" for English walnut orchards. This means the English walnut tree is grown on the roots of the California black walnut.
People also plant it as a beautiful tree in gardens. It is popular in California native plant gardens. It is also used in xeriscape gardens, which need less water. People also plant it to create wildlife habitats and for natural landscaping in California and Hawaii.
About Its Name
Some experts, like the California Native Plant Society, think this tree is the same as another species, Juglans hindsii. However, other studies suggest that J. californica is different. It might be a close relative to other black walnuts. This article follows the ideas from The Jepson Manual, which sees it as its own species.
See also
In Spanish: Juglans californica para niños
