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Can a Leyland Cypress Tree Grow Under a Black Walnut Tree?

15 years ago

We have a large Black Walnut tree along our property line. We decided to do some needed lanscaping along that line, and came to realize the Black Walnut tree could create issues for our tree and plant selections due to its toxicity. Since we are also trying to create some privacy we thought of growing Leyland Cypress trees. They grow fast and we have some on another property line that are doing very well. But the Black Walnut is the issue on this particular side of our property. So does anyone have experience with Leyland Cypress trees growing successfully under Black Walnut trees?

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Comments (2)

Iris GW
15 years ago
I don't see Cypress listed as being tolerant in the linked list. You can try searching for "leyland cypress juglone" to see what other references you might find that are more specific to that plant.

But wouldn't eventual height be an issue anyway? Or were you planning to shear them to control the height?

Here is a link that might be useful: Juglone tolerant plants
Embothrium
15 years ago
These don't appreciate shade and would be liable to appear even more gloomy and scruffy stuck beneath another tree than they do anyway. Then there is the matter of the visual tension produced by having a conical conifer stabbing up through a deciduous tree (unless the shade is heavy enough to prevent it from growing up through the branches of the walnut much).

If you don't require tall plants use broadleaved evergreen shrubs with rounded or spreading growth habits instead of coniferous evergreens. If you require tall plants that will be likely to grow well above the bottom level of walnut branches it would be greatly preferable to have these located behind or beyond the spread of the tree branches.
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http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/tree/dec94pr1.html The Virginia Coop. Ext. Serv. used to have a publication titled "What grows under black walnuts?" cited above. Unfortunately, the link no longer works. Try to contact them directly or use the Wayback Machine.
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I've 3 fairly large rhododendrons growing under the canopy of a large black walnut tree in my back yard. I grew tomatoes last year under this same tree during the summer and they did very well. These are two plants that are not supposed to do well under a walnut tree. I use the black walnut leaves in fall to mulch the rhodies and the beds in my front yard. As long as you dont plant too close to the walnut roots which are supposed to carry the maximum concentration of juglone, you should be just fine planting most anything.
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I use containers that range in size from 2 liter soda bottles to 30 gallon tubs. I have begun this year to build some SWC's, but will have most of my tomatoes in 18 gallon plastic pots with two plants per pot. A few years ago, a neighbor took down a very old and very large (30 inches in diameter) black walnut tree. I tried to get some of the main trunk, but after a lot of "begging", was finally told that he had sold it all but that if I wanted, I could have the stump. As he told me I'd have to dig it out, he was grinning in that way that makes me wander if he was laughing at me. After digging for "a while", I finally used my truck to jerk the thing out of the ground. I smiled and as he helped me load it, I thanked the "gift horse" for being so generous. He laughed and asked me what I could possibly do with that "worthless" stump. I just smiled and said, "I might get a bowl or two turned out of some of it.". He just shook his head and laughed again. I just kept smiling as I drove off with the bed of my truck covered with the best part of the tree. Ted
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