Black walnut is flowering tree in the family juglandaceae of genus
Juglans.
It is native to North America, but mostly found in southern Ontario,
west to southeast South Dakota, south to Georgia, northern Florida, and in
central Texas.
Black walnut is commercially cultivated in many parts of the world and
traded.
The leaves of black walnut are alternate, pinnately compound and 12 to
24 inches long having numerous leaflets.
The growing leaflets are ovate-lanceolate, serrated and 2- 3 inches long
in slightly pale yellowish-green colour.
Flowers are monoecious as the male are single stemmed catkins while
female are short spikes bearing near the end in yellow-green colour.
Fruit is round, thick with 2 to 3 inches in diameter and green husk.
This husk contains furrowed hard nut containing oily, sweet edible
substance.
The tree is long growing to 50 to 120 feet tall having dark brown
furrowed bark and flattened ridges.
Black walnut best grows in well-drained fertile and moist soils. Soils
required for its cultivation are sandy, loamy, silt loam and silt clay
loam.
Black walnut best thrives near river terraces, hillside benches, and
hilly terrain.
Wood, bark, fruit.
Tannins, volatile oil, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, B1, B2 and
beta-carotene.
Black walnut provides a distinct flavor to the preparations and usually
the nutmeat is edible as dry fruit.
Some of the common uses of walnut are in ice creams, sweet dishes,
baking and confection.
Black walnut is also added to cakes, pies, and in foods like salads,
pasta, and fish, and pork, chicken and vegetable dishes.
Black walnut contains some active constituents which makes a dye used
for hair.
The wood of black walnut tree is prized for its hardness and heaviness.
Wood of this fruit has been used from centuries for making furniture
gunstocks, flooring, coffins and paddles.