Black Walnut vs Yellow Birch - TreeTime.ca

Black Walnut vs Yellow Birch

Betula alleghaniensis

Juglans nigra

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Yellow Birch
Black Walnut

Yellow Birch is a large and valuable hardwood species in northeastern North America. The bark on its limbs and young trunks is silvery-yellowish in colour, hence the name. This tree prefers to grow in cool regions with damp or saturated soil.

Yellow Birch can be tapped for syrup, like Sugar Maple. Although the sap has less sugar content, it flows in greater quantity than maple trees.

Note: Unfortunately this difficult to grow species is not currently scheduled to grow at TreeTime.ca. Perhaps try purchasing seed from SeedTime.ca and growing your own? Or sign up for a restock notification above.

The Black Walnut is a slow growing, large, straight-stemmed tree with an open crown. It produces dense, very hard, edible nuts.

Black Walnut has a deeply-furrowed, black bark. Its leaves are about 1 foot long, composed of 15 - 23 slightly stalked leaflets on a moderately stout stock which provide good dappled shade.

Despite being highly valued for its edible nuts and its shade tree aesthetics, it is rare to see this tree on the prairies.

Note: Black Walnut's roots produce a substance named juglone that is toxic to some other plants. Consider this when choosing where you plant a black walnut, as you will not be able to grow tomato, potato, cabbage, eggplant, blueberry, azalea, rhododendron, lilac, red pine and apple in the surrounding area.

Note: Plant this tree once. It will not respond well to transplanting.

Note: Although self-pollinating, planting two trees significantly improves nut production.

A top CO2 absorbing species. Experts think this tree may help climate change more than others.

Yellow Birch Quick Facts

Black Walnut Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 18 m (60 ft)
Height: 14 m (45 ft)
Spread: 11 m (35 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: long
Suckering: low
Suckering: low


Fall colour: bright yellow
Bark: shiny yellow to grey silver peels in curly strips, becomes reddish brown when older
Nuts: corrugated nut with edible meat
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: yes
Catkins: no


Other Names: golden birch
Other Names: american walnut