Black Walnut


Juglans

This genus consists of some 15 species of deciduous trees, distributed from Mediterranean regions to E Asia and through N America into the Andes. Several species are grown for their ash-like, often very large leaves that in some species turn yellow in autumn. Juglans regia is often called "English" walnut, but it is not native to the British Isles and seldom crops well in cool climates. Cultivars of Carpathian origin are hardier than the Persian-type walnuts that are grown commercially in California. The walnut has been cultivated in France since at least Roman times for its nuts and oil. Walnut leaves and husks were the main source of brown hair dyes until the early 20th century, a use first described by Pliny (CE23-79). The N American J. cinerea (butternut) was much used medicinally and as a dye plant by Indian tribes; the Menominee dyed their deerskin shirts brown with juice from the husks. Its main medicinal use was for digestive disorders; it was listed in the U. S. Pharmacopoeia (1820-1905) and was one of the most widely used laxatives in the 19th century. Although strongly purgative, it is considered safe during pregnancy. Among its constituents are naphthaquinones, which have a similar laxative effect to the anthraquinones found in Rheum palmatum (See, Chinese rhubarb) and Senna alexandria (See, Alexandrian senna). Black walnut (J. nigra) is used in the same ways. Walnut wood and veneers come from various different species, including J. regia. Juglans comes from the Latin Iupiter, "jupiter" and glans, "acorn".

Deciduous tree with pinnate, aromatic leaves, 30cm (12in) long, divided into 5-9 ovate leaflets, which are bronze when young. Dark yellow male catkins and spikes of female flowers appear in late spring to early summer, followed by dark green fruits, to 5cm (2in) long, each containing a woody nut.

Black walnut gets its scientific name from the Latin word Juglans, meaning "acorn" or "Jupiter", and nigra, meaning "black", which is the color of the bark of the tree. The reference to Jupiter comes from the idea that the gods who lived on earth were able to subsist on walnuts. Asians and certain Native American tribes have used the back of the black walnut tree to treat various kinds of intestinal worms.


Common Name:
Juglans
Other Names:
Black Walnut, Jupiter's Nuts, Nogal Americano, Schwarze Walnuss
Botanical Name:
Juglans nigra
Genus:
Juglans
Family:
Juglandaceae
Native Location:
SE Europe to Himalayas, SW China, C Russia
Cultivation:
Deep, rich, well-drained soil in sun. For reliable crops of good quality nuts, plant self-fertile cultivars of J. nigra rather than the wild species. Remove badly placed and dead branches in winter. Leaves may be marked by bacterial leaf blotch and blight. Young shoots and flowers may be damaged by frost in cold sites.
Propagation:
By seed sown when ripe, or in spring after stratifying (species only); by whip-and-tongue grafting; by chip-budding on to J. nigra.
Harvest:
Leaves are picked during the growing season and dried for use in infusions and liquid extracts. Fruits are collected unripe, or when ripe in autumn, and separated into husks, shells, and kernels ("nuts"). Green rinds are used fresh for infusions; husks are infused for dye, and kernels pressed for oil. Inner bark is collected in autumn and dried for decoctions.
Variations:
Broadview
Is very hardy; it produces large crops of easily cracked nuts at an early age.

Hansen
Is small and very hardy; produces round, thin-shelled nuts at an early age.

Laciniata
(Cut-Leafed Walnut)
Has slightly pendent branches and deeply cut leaflets.
Height:
35m (120ft)
Width:
20m (70ft)
Hardiness:
Z5-8
History:
Once upon a time, in ancient Greece and Rome, the people believed that in a long ago "golden age", humans lived on acorns and gods lived on walnuts. This fanciful myth is the origin of black walnut's most famous common names—Jupiter's nuts and the rather ribald Jove's glans (of which Juglans is a corruption). The stately walnut most likely traveled from ancient Persia to ancient Rome centuries before the birth of Christ. By the first century BCE, the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro noted in his writings that the walnut tree was thriving throughout Rome, where the tree was called nux for its nutty fruits. Both the Greeks and Romans used walnut to fight infections and cure the venemous bites of snakes and mad dogs. And the first-century CE Romans were the first to use walnut leaves as a dark brown hair dye—a use that continued into the twentieth century. Native Americans used black walnut to treat fungal infections such as ringworm, and to relieve constipation and indigestion. Black walnut's laxative effects were so prized, in fact, that the herb remained in the official U.S. Pharmacopoeia until 1905.
Parts Used:
Hull of nut
Properties:
A bitter, astringent herb that is expectorant and laxative, soothes irritated tissues, and dissolves kidney stones. It controls many disease-causing organisms and has anti-cancer properties.
Medicinal Uses:
Internally for constipation, chronic coughs, asthma, and urinary stones (leaves); diarrhea and anemia (rind); and menstrual problems and dry skin conditions (oil). Externally for eczema, herpes, eruptive skin complaints, eye inflammations, and hair loss. Regarded in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic for weak kidney energy.
To treat worms, leukemia, diptheria, and syphilis; as a gargle for mouth sores or sore throats.
Black walnut has antifungal, astringent, infection-fighting, and laxative properties. It is taken internally to treat cold sores, constipation, intestinal worms and parasites, and warts. Black walnut is applied externally—in compresses, poultices, and liquid extracts to treat acne, athlete's foot, cold sores, eczema, jock itch, herpes, psoriasis, ringworm, and minor wounds.
Preparation:
Black walnut is available as dried herb and fruit rind and in extracts, teas, and tinctures. To make a decoction, add 1 teaspoon dried herb to 1 cup of water, bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drink 1 tablespoon three or four times a day. The decoction may also be used as a gargle to treat cold sores.
Caution:
No serious side effects are associated with taking black walnut. Consult your practitioner before taking black walnut if you are pregnant or trying to conceive.
Drugs Interactions:
Taking black walnut with these drugs may interfere with absorption of the drug:
All drugs taken by mouth.
Supplement Interactions:
The tannins in black walnut may cause the alkaloids in certain other herbs to separate and settle, increasing the risk of toxic reactions.
Culinary Uses:
Walnuts are an important ingredient of cakes, cookies, desserts, ice cream, and various savory dishes and sauces, including Middle Eastern chicken dishes, Provençal raito (salt cod), and Italian pesto sauce for pasta. Walnut oil is a choice salad oil, used especially with fruits or herb-flavored vinegars. Unripe fruits are pickled, preserved in syrup, and made into the French liqueur brou de noix. Leaves are used for tea and for wrapping cheeses.
Economic Uses:
Leaves and husks yield brown dye, used in hair tints and conditioners for dark hair. Wood is used in furniture, veneers, and gunstocks. Oil is used for culinary purposese, and in cosmetics and artists' paints. Walnut meal is used as a thickening agent in the food industry.
Bibliography:
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited Pg 247
The Essential Herb-Drug-Vitamin Interaction Guide by Geo. T. Grossberg,MD and Barry Fox,PhD Copyright©2007 Barry Fox,PhD. Pp.83-84
The Modern Herbal Primer by Nancy Burke Copyright©2000 Yankee Publishing, Inc. pg. 133