Ever kick one of these light green nuts down the sidewalk? If so, you are helping to disperse the black walnut’s seeds. I think they are designed specifically for this purpose of kicking them down the sidewalk.
The further the seed is from the tree, the more likely the next generation from the tree will survive. A young walnut needs light, water, and nutrients. If it sprouts right under the parent’s canopy, it’s shaded and fighting the mature tree’s established roots. Farther away = more sunlight and soil resources.
Also, black walnut trees release juglone, a chemical that inhibits many other plants. This gives the adult tree less competition, but the juglone-rich soil right around the trunk can also be tough for its own seedlings. A seed that lands beyond the highest juglone concentration has a better shot .
Kick those black walnut seedballs away from the juglone! I make it into a game and see how far down the sidewalk I can keep these green seedballs rolling before they go into the street (or until they break entirely open, releasing the dark black walnut inside).
The farther the black walnut seedballs are from the tree, the more likely they are to grow into a new tree. Plus, if black walnut trees are spaced farther apart, it’s less likely they’ll get wiped out by a storm, fire, or insect outbreak.
Your game of sidewalk soccer helps these trees to disperse and survive.
Black walnuts are one of my favorite nut-meats!
Really! Do you buy them at a grocery store? Or harvest them yourself?
They’re apparently impossible to crack without the right equipment. I buy them at the store when they are available
I found if you kick them down the sidewalk, they crack open pretty easily.