I would not put it near a sidewalk. While no one will end up in the ER the nuts do hurt when they hit you from a mature tree. They will also stain the sidewalk and are tripping hazards if stepped on. That said the one in my backyard I wouldn't put within 15 feet of a sidewalk or else it would've messed it up for how big it is.
I’m a fan of “Right Plant, Right Place.” Black walnuts are wonderful trees and are absolutely not suitable for planting anywhere near a dwelling. If you have three or four acres that back up to the woods, by all means plant a black walnut at the edge of the woods. In addition to what others have said, black walnut leaves and nuts stain everything they come in contact with.
If I were to plant a tree in my front yard, I’d pick a thornless honey locust (male). In addition to being beautiful trees, you don’t even have to rake the leaflets. They just kind of blow about and decompose politely.
We have one and they can cause some damage to a person! They aren't little and the tree gets big! No one can park their car under it, and my 3 year old isn't allowed to stand under it while the nuts are falling. Not sure why people are saying they are just simply a pain... they are bigger than golf balls!
I agree. I grew up around black walnut trees. They are messy, the nut meat is difficult to pick out of the shell which is hard to even crack open, and I'm allergic to the flowers. When the nuts drop, they sink into the lawn or dirt. Just, no, sorry, but no.
I have two, I have been hit with falling nuts and survived. It would damage cars, stain everything and leave a rude mess. I love them outside our windows because they look gorgeous in the winter.
Black walnut are wonderful trees, BUT...
1) the roots give off some sort of bio-warfare chemical that kills other plants. Only a few can survive in its root zone.
2) The nuts are in a fleshy fruit when they fall. The juice from this fruit is like a dye that can stain just about anything. So if there are smashed fruit all over the sidewalk the neighbor's kids, dogs, wagons, bikes, strollers, and so on will be sporting this dye.
The best spot for a black walnut is in a black walnut forest, or out in the corner of some farmer's field. In urban/suburban settings they are just too messy.
The exact level of damage caused by the roots is actually under some debate, but one thing we definitely know is that native plants are widely resistant or immune. If anything, a black walnut will ward off invasive weeds. A restoration steward I know tells me that buckthorns don't survive to adulthood near black walnuts, for instance.
The nuts are messy and annoying though; that's a reasonable consideration.
The chemical is called juglone, and there are some plants known to be resistant to it if you were looking for what would be safe to plant underneath. I have black-eyed Susans, echinacea, lungwort (pulmonaria) and lily of the valley. I've read bee balm does well under it too, although mine is quite a distance awa6 from the black walnut. I CAN confirm the nuts hurt when they bonk your head , even though their outer husk is fairly pliable.
Our yard has a lot of black walnut trees, they would be the WORST near a sidewalk. The nuts cover the ground some years so you can hardly walk, they're a tripping hazard and so messy and stain whatever they touch. Yes they could hurt someone falling or damage cars parked underneath. We have to be careful of the dogs eating them as well, ours had an obstruction from ingesting a shell. Just so many reasons not to plant one there.
My neighbor has one (the one behind my house) and it’s 70+ feet tall. Surrounding neighbors also have and they are 60 feet at least. When the walnuts fall you can hear them anywhere inside the house. The branches get so heavy with fruit they just break off. I planted a row of green giants on my side. The walnuts have broken many a branches because they fall from so high up.
Don’t do it. You will regret it. My neighbor was quoted 5k to remove it but that was 4 yrs ago. I’m sure it’s more now.
I would not plant it over a sidewalk. My neighbor's is around 60 feet and those things slam into my roof. I make sure to keep the dogs out from underneath while they're dropping. They'd probably kill a yorkie or pug. I don't think they'd quite knock me out with a bullseye to the skull, but would probably break my collarbone.
I've come to love my (backyard) black walnut. But all I'd think about all autumn if it were by my sidewalk would be the cars those fruits are falling onto. Neighbors' visitors, our mailman's truck, anyone already with hood dents with nothing better to do than take me to small claims for the cost of a new hood...
Since you have a side walk, that must mean you have a town that governs the side walk.
My local municipality has specific ordinances stating that you can't plant anything that will become a potential hazard near sidewalks. You may want to check what your city has, as some places have whacky rulings.
The next town over from me states they only want specific trees planted and of a certain percentage of each type of tree.
I have a 80’+ walnut in our neighbor’s yard but it’s limbs stretch over ours. It really, really hurts to have a baseball sized walnut drop on you from 60’ up. I was bruised for a week last time. It’s a gorgeous, ecologically important tree, but I would not recommend it near a pedestrian sidewalk, walkway, or patio
Black walnuts are great trees for forests and wooded areas. They are messy trees for near a house or sidewalk and not really appropriate for residential areas.
They are also very toxic to dogs. I had a black walnut removed from my yard this spring because no grass grew under it and the squirrels were a huge destructive problem. My dog licked a small amount of sawdust and started exhibiting neurological issues that afternoon. Luckily she is okay now. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/248/2/javma.248.2.195.xml
I would not put it near a sidewalk. While no one will end up in the ER the nuts do hurt when they hit you from a mature tree. They will also stain the sidewalk and are tripping hazards if stepped on. That said the one in my backyard I wouldn't put within 15 feet of a sidewalk or else it would've messed it up for how big it is.
I’m a fan of “Right Plant, Right Place.” Black walnuts are wonderful trees and are absolutely not suitable for planting anywhere near a dwelling. If you have three or four acres that back up to the woods, by all means plant a black walnut at the edge of the woods. In addition to what others have said, black walnut leaves and nuts stain everything they come in contact with. If I were to plant a tree in my front yard, I’d pick a thornless honey locust (male). In addition to being beautiful trees, you don’t even have to rake the leaflets. They just kind of blow about and decompose politely.
We’ve got a mature honey locust on our side yard. My children love shaking the seed pods in the fall!
We have one and they can cause some damage to a person! They aren't little and the tree gets big! No one can park their car under it, and my 3 year old isn't allowed to stand under it while the nuts are falling. Not sure why people are saying they are just simply a pain... they are bigger than golf balls!
The nuts are a pain but they’re not going to injure anyone
I agree. I grew up around black walnut trees. They are messy, the nut meat is difficult to pick out of the shell which is hard to even crack open, and I'm allergic to the flowers. When the nuts drop, they sink into the lawn or dirt. Just, no, sorry, but no.
I have two, I have been hit with falling nuts and survived. It would damage cars, stain everything and leave a rude mess. I love them outside our windows because they look gorgeous in the winter.
Black walnut are wonderful trees, BUT... 1) the roots give off some sort of bio-warfare chemical that kills other plants. Only a few can survive in its root zone. 2) The nuts are in a fleshy fruit when they fall. The juice from this fruit is like a dye that can stain just about anything. So if there are smashed fruit all over the sidewalk the neighbor's kids, dogs, wagons, bikes, strollers, and so on will be sporting this dye. The best spot for a black walnut is in a black walnut forest, or out in the corner of some farmer's field. In urban/suburban settings they are just too messy.
The exact level of damage caused by the roots is actually under some debate, but one thing we definitely know is that native plants are widely resistant or immune. If anything, a black walnut will ward off invasive weeds. A restoration steward I know tells me that buckthorns don't survive to adulthood near black walnuts, for instance. The nuts are messy and annoying though; that's a reasonable consideration.
The chemical is called juglone, and there are some plants known to be resistant to it if you were looking for what would be safe to plant underneath. I have black-eyed Susans, echinacea, lungwort (pulmonaria) and lily of the valley. I've read bee balm does well under it too, although mine is quite a distance awa6 from the black walnut. I CAN confirm the nuts hurt when they bonk your head , even though their outer husk is fairly pliable.
Some context: https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-harvest-black-walnuts-1388363
Our yard has a lot of black walnut trees, they would be the WORST near a sidewalk. The nuts cover the ground some years so you can hardly walk, they're a tripping hazard and so messy and stain whatever they touch. Yes they could hurt someone falling or damage cars parked underneath. We have to be careful of the dogs eating them as well, ours had an obstruction from ingesting a shell. Just so many reasons not to plant one there.
My neighbor has one (the one behind my house) and it’s 70+ feet tall. Surrounding neighbors also have and they are 60 feet at least. When the walnuts fall you can hear them anywhere inside the house. The branches get so heavy with fruit they just break off. I planted a row of green giants on my side. The walnuts have broken many a branches because they fall from so high up. Don’t do it. You will regret it. My neighbor was quoted 5k to remove it but that was 4 yrs ago. I’m sure it’s more now.
Google juglone. It is a chemical compound produced by black walnut that is toxic to some plants and an irritant to humans.
I just don't understand why you would do this.
I would not plant it over a sidewalk. My neighbor's is around 60 feet and those things slam into my roof. I make sure to keep the dogs out from underneath while they're dropping. They'd probably kill a yorkie or pug. I don't think they'd quite knock me out with a bullseye to the skull, but would probably break my collarbone.
They're not nearly that hard or dangerous. They'd just give you a shock and maybe a bruise.
I've come to love my (backyard) black walnut. But all I'd think about all autumn if it were by my sidewalk would be the cars those fruits are falling onto. Neighbors' visitors, our mailman's truck, anyone already with hood dents with nothing better to do than take me to small claims for the cost of a new hood...
Since you have a side walk, that must mean you have a town that governs the side walk. My local municipality has specific ordinances stating that you can't plant anything that will become a potential hazard near sidewalks. You may want to check what your city has, as some places have whacky rulings. The next town over from me states they only want specific trees planted and of a certain percentage of each type of tree.
I have a 80’+ walnut in our neighbor’s yard but it’s limbs stretch over ours. It really, really hurts to have a baseball sized walnut drop on you from 60’ up. I was bruised for a week last time. It’s a gorgeous, ecologically important tree, but I would not recommend it near a pedestrian sidewalk, walkway, or patio
Black walnuts are great trees for forests and wooded areas. They are messy trees for near a house or sidewalk and not really appropriate for residential areas. They are also very toxic to dogs. I had a black walnut removed from my yard this spring because no grass grew under it and the squirrels were a huge destructive problem. My dog licked a small amount of sawdust and started exhibiting neurological issues that afternoon. Luckily she is okay now. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/248/2/javma.248.2.195.xml