Our acreage is full of Black Walnuts and I disagree with most of the 'list' of things that won't grow around them. Orange Butterfly Weed definitely will. My advice is to try anything and see if it survives. The only thing I had problems with was Lamium. I have since planted it in a large garden where there are no Black Walnuts, but recently mulched with wood chips. Since the mulch comes from our area, I'm sure it is mostly BW mulch. I will wait until the spring to see if there is a die-back. Hope not -- I love all the Lamiums!

Tsuga canadensis and Thuja occidentalis do well here and if there is enough sun (4-5 hours), so does Chamaecyparis obtusa. I've heard yews and white pine don't like juglone but I've seen them do well with it. tj

Thanks all for your thoughts! Yes, this is the only place I can plant. It is a typically smallish downtown Toronto yard, with several trees shading the (Eastern) 2/3 of it. That leaves the back (Western) 1/3 open for planting. I've actually decided to do fewer beds because I have become less optimistic about my sunlight situation (and my budget for buying soil). The research I've done suggests that the highest concentration of Juglone is in the roots of the tree, and if I can keep the roots from coming in contact with the soil around my sensitive plants (as well as keeping the beds away from the dripline and clearing them of any Walnut tree debris), I am hoping that even the sensitive plants should be ok. The whole yard is pretty dense with tree roots (maple, cedar...) which could also creep into my beds and, while not poisoning my plants, they could crowd their roots and feed on their nutrients. I've been told that as I water my garden, the tree roots are likely to rise towards the surface of the yard where the moisture is, rather that growing down. I hope I don't sound too paranoid, but I figure I should try to do this right the first time.

Well I'm trying the wax myrtle. Someone has to first right? If I remember (which is a bit of gamble!) I'll try to post back my results. -Helen