Texas black walnut, Little walnut
Juglans microcarpa

Family: Juglandaceae

What it is like

A small bushy tree. It grows about 8 m high. The stem is 15-50 cm across. The leaves are compound and 20-33 cm long. The leaves have leaflets along the stalk. There are usually 7-13 leaflets. They are narrow and sword shaped. There are small teeth along the edge. The young leaves are grey to brown. They become green but turn yellow in autumn. The flowers are small and green. The male flowers have about 20 stamens and occur in catkins. The female flower has a 2 lobed style and occur as a few flowers at the tip of the same twig. The fruit are 12-19 mm across and have a thin hairy husk. The nut is hard and grooved with a thick shell. The seed is small and edible.

There are about 30 Juglans species. All species bear edible nuts.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in moist soils often along streams. It grows from 450-1220 m altitude in the southern USA. It suits hardiness zones 7-10.

Countries/locations it is found in

Central Asia, Mexico, North America, Tajikistan, USA

How it is used for food

The small nuts are eaten.

Edible parts

Nuts, seeds

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Nogalillo

Synonyms

Juglans rupestris Engelm ex Torr.;