under a black walnut tree besides river rock? Any ground covers, flowers, grasses, plants, herbs...anything? The grass was doing ok until we had a new sidewalk put in and now after the extra traffic and such, it looks pretty bare. (not to mention it's da#* cold too.) I'm in zone 4 if you have any ideas. Jane

Hostas and heucheras do quite well under black walnuts, as do pachysandra, pulmonaria, hardy geraniums, tiarella, solomons seal, epimediums, tovara, currants (georgeous blooms, tasty berries) blueberry bushes, clethra, ferns, forsythia, honeysuckle, creeping buttercup, trillium, bleeding heart, monkey grass, mondo grass, hollies, cedars, hemlocks, pauls musk rose, zepherine drouhin rose, creeping speedwell, acorus, chives, catnip, sweet woodruff, astilbe, ligularia, rodgersia...ummm...if that isn't enough, let me know and I'll go look in my garden again to see what I've missed. We have a whole woods full of black walnuts and butternuts...Juglone city.

brennewoman,
You have butternuts?
They are endangered in NH.
I have several on my property,but some have the blight.
Very interesting,glad to know they are somewhere.

Want me to send you some nuts to sprout in your backyard?

At the first property we owned the previous owner planted apple and pear tress in close proximity to Black Walnut trees. We chose the fruit trees. Cut down the walnut trees and had them sawn into boards. They've been drying in the attics of my houses (3) ever since. Black walnut is a pretty dark wood that makes beautiful trim around windows and doors, picture frames, mirrors and inlaid as contrasting colors with oak in backgammon and checker boards. When I drive by the old property the orchard looks great. I still miss that place. (didn't really answer your question though)

That's ok, I like to hear about other's yards too. But here on the flat dry plains of South Dakota, it is a "sin" to cut down a tree. The squirrels enjoy the walnuts too much and I really appreciate the shade in the summer when it is 100+ degrees outside. The trees shade my house so the A/C doesn't have to work as hard. jane

Well,that is very kind of you.
What kind of time line for a butternut to reach a few feet in growth?
Would they be resistant to the canker?
I'm having the state come in to evaluate the ones that I have recently found on my property for canker.
They are looking for healthy ones to graft.
I moved to this new place late last fall and I find I am discovering all kinds of trees and shrubs. 55 acres with a brook and a beaver.(sheesh)

Well, lets see...the sprouts get about a foot tall by fall around here, buried the previous fall...then they grow pretty quickly, actually. I'll collect a bunch for you next fall when they start hitting the ground. Only problem is that before the shell is off, I can't tell the difference between the black walnuts and the butternuts. Do you mind a mix?

They are all collected and eaten by squirrels or humans right now. Or I could dig up some seedlings. We haven't had any problems with canker. If you have healthy ones, though, you should have plenty of nuts. Just bury them where you want them and they should grow.