Walnut
egoz, H93
Juglans regia
Juglandaceae, Walnut Family
I went down to the grove of walnut trees and out to the valley to see the new spring growth, to see whether the grapevines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom.
Song of Songs 6:11 NLT
Walnuts were overlooked in God's Word for Gardeners Bible! However, read more about the landscape of Song of Songs where walnuts are mentioned in "Lay of the Land" for En Gedi, part of the Garden Tours devotions, beginning on page 270
I made royal gardens and parks for myself, and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
Ecclesiastes 2:5 TLV
Cultural Information
| Type | Edible Tree |
| Height | 50 to 70 feet or more |
| Soil | deep, fertile, evenly moist |
| Exposure | full sun |
| Leaves | broadleaf, oval, pointed, bright, warm green leaves, 6 to 8 inches long, gathered in leaflets, 5 to 9 in a bract, deciduous, with a distinct, pleasing aroma |
| Flowers | light green, columnar catkins form in mid-spring, 3 inches long; female flowers in clusters of 4 to 8, blooming begins before budding leaves |
| Fruit | rounded, warm green fruits about the size of apricots grow in clusters of 2 or more, bears fruit around the 10th year, harvested in early fall |
Planting Tips
- hardy to zone 7
- walnut trees grow best from seed; transplanting can be tricky due to their deep taproot
- check for cultivars best suited to your climate; some zone 6 varities may be available
- trees take well to grafting
- space trees 65 feet on center to accommodate their massive size at maturity
- walnut trees grow relatively quickly and begin bearing fruit around the 10th year
- underplant with cover crops in the early years and plow under to add organic matter to soil
- as trees mature, they will shade out the growth of surrounding plants
- provide regular irrigation if rainfall is iffy
- fruits are ready to harvest in late summer through November; outer, green flesh will dry and break open, and nuts will fall to the ground to be gathered
Garden to Table
- walnut trees yield many products: nuts for eating, walnut oil from nuts for cooking, rich-grained lumber for furniture-making, and shade and fragrant beauty in the landscape
- walnuts are well-loved in baking and cooking; try them in cookies, brownies, and fruit breads, along with their star appearance in German Chocolate Cake
- toast nuts slightly and sprinkle in salads, rice pilafs, and roasted vegetable side dishes, or over breakfast oatmeal and cereal
- use walnut oil in salad dressing, for drizzling, and other low-heat cooking and food prep
- ...or simply enjoy fresh from the bag! walnuts are tasty for snacking
- walnut wood is a favorite of furniture makers with its warm-toned intriguing wood grain…your table could be from a walnut tree!
- Juglans regia is the Persian or English walnut, imported to England and planted there primarily for its lumber
More Research
See Blog Posts on WalnutThe enthralling list of scented spices in the lovers’ romantic garden was largely an imported catalog from the Far East (Song of Songs 4:13 – 14). Solomon, traditionally credited as being the author of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, was renowned for his knowledge of plant life (1 Kings 4:33), and might have sought [these species from merchants, gathering a fantastic and luxuriant world-wide collection for his own gardens (Ecclesiastes 2:5; Song of Songs 3:6)…. The international plant species of En Gedi connects us to God’s commitment across Scripture to spreading fragrance everywhere (Song of Songs 4:16; 2 Corinthians 2:14).
-from the NIV God's Word for Gardeners Bible
I made royal gardens and parks for myself, and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them.
Ecclesiastes 2:5 TLV
Photo Credits
ID 325105350 | Juglans Regia © Menno Van Der Haven | Dreamstime.com Ripening walnuts on a tree with beautiful green leaves
©Shelley S. Cramm walnuts ready for baking
©1906 by George Simonds Boulger (1853-1922) from Familiar Trees
Pomegranate