Species: Juglans cinerea
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Juglans cinerea is a deciduous tree reaching nearly 100 ft. in height. Its bark is grayish-brown, with smooth ridges. The pith of the stems is transversely partitioned into chambers which are dark chocolate brown. The leaves are compound with 11-17 leaflets that have long, pointed tips. Leaflets from the middle of the leaf are the largest. The flowers are in dense, drooping catkins (resembling cats' tails) which protrude from the buds in autumn and lengthen in the spring. The nut resembles a short cylinder (1.5-2.75 inches long) with 2 halves and 2 or 4 ridges running end to end along its rough surface. Both the nut and the husk remain closed at maturity. Seed production begins when the tree has reached 20 years of age and peaks when it is 30-60 years old. Seeds are produced every year, but larger seed crops occur every 2-3 years. Germination of seeds usually takes place in the spring from seeds that fell the previous season. (Gleason and Cronquist 1991, Ostry et al. 1994).
Classification
Dicotyledoneae
Juglandales
Juglandaceae
Juglans
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Juglans cinerea is a deciduous tree reaching nearly 100 ft. in height. Its bark is grayish-brown, with smooth ridges. The pith of the stems is transversely partitioned into chambers which are dark chocolate brown. The leaves are compound with 11-17 leaflets that have long, pointed tips. Leaflets from the middle of the leaf are the largest. The flowers are in dense, drooping catkins (resembling cats' tails) which protrude from the buds in autumn and lengthen in the spring. The nut resembles a short cylinder (1.5-2.75 inches long) with 2 halves and 2 or 4 ridges running end to end along its rough surface. Both the nut and the husk remain closed at maturity. Seed production begins when the tree has reached 20 years of age and peaks when it is 30-60 years old. Seeds are produced every year, but larger seed crops occur every 2-3 years. Germination of seeds usually takes place in the spring from seeds that fell the previous season. (Gleason and Cronquist 1991, Ostry et al. 1994).