SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BLACK WALNUT

Juglans californica

The Juglans california tree, commonly known as California Walnut or Southern California black walnut, is a native deciduous tree found mainly in Southern California. It can grow up to 20 to 49 feet tall and may vary considerably in shape depending on the age of the tree and the characteristics of the site. Trees in the savannah woodlands tend to have multiple stems that grow outward from the rings at the base, making them look like "v" shaped trees that branch near the ground and grow together and then split. Its leaves have serrated edges and are two feet long in the shape of a lance.

This tree plays various and important roles in the ecosystem. It provides an advantageous home for nesting birds and owls, with 29 species of diurnal birds found over two years in the Southern California Walnut Forest in San Jose Hills. Also, many rodents, including California ground squirrels and western gray squirrels, eat its nuts and dig burrows underneath trees. It is now widely used in urban forestry projects as a suitable feature for ornamental landscaping. In Los Angeles County, the tree was planted in a bush wattle during road filling work, and it grew well enough to reach 12 feets in the ten years of tree strength.

1. ‘Southern California Black Walnut; Juglans californica’ , California native plant society. https://calscape.org/Juglans-californica-(Southern-California-Black-Walnut)
2. ‘SPECIES: Juglans californica’, United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/jugcal/all.html