Family: Juglandaceae
Common Name: Japanese walnut
Origin/Ecology: Native to Japan and Sakhalin.
Habit: Grows to 20 m tall, spreading growth habit.
Leaves: Vivid green, glossy, 50-90cm long, pinnately compound each with 11 to 17 oblong leaflets, each leaflet 7-16 cm long and 3-5 cm broad. Leaves are downy-pubescent.
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite, slightly subopposite
Flowers and Fruit: Male flowers are inconspicuous yellow-green catkins produced in spring at the same time as leaves. Female flowers have pink-red pistils. The fruit is a nut, produced in bunches of 4-10 together. The nut is spherical, 3-5 cm long and broad, surrounded by a green husk before maturity in mid autumn.
Bark: Light grey.
Water Use, Soil: Suitable for a wide range of soils but prefers moist, well-drained soils.
Exposure: Full sun, sheltered from strong winds.
Landscape Uses: Makes an excellent ornamental tree for planting in parks and large gardens.
Limitations: Susceptible to Walnut Bunch Disease.
Other Features: More resistant to canker disease than is North American butternut.