Survival and Growth 

Forest Service of Black Walnut Families 

Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station 

After 7 Years in West Virginia 

Research Paper 

N E-569 G. W. Wendel 

1985 Donald E. Dorn 
The Author 

G. W. Wendel, research forester, received a B.S. degree in forestry 

from Iowa State University in 1951, and an M.S. degree in forestry from Yale 

University in 1957. He joined the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station's 

Timber and Watershed Laboratory at Parsons, West Virginia, in 1962. 

Donald E. Dorn is azone geneticist with the Allegheny National Forest 

at Warren, Pennsylvania. 

Manuscript received for publication 18 October 1984 

Abstract 

Average survival, 7-year stem diameter, and stem diameter growth differed significantly among 34 black walnut families planted in West Virginia. 

Average total height, height growth, and diameter at breast height were not 

significantly different among families. Families were from seed collected in 

West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The 7-year results indicated that although survival was significantly different among 

families, differences in height growth were not well enough defined to recommend sources for planting. 
Introduction 

Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) 

grows well on many sites in West 

Virginia and is native to all parts of 

the state. However, it is only a small 

part of timber resource in West Virginia. The most recent forest survey 

for West Virginia shows that only 

about 43,000 acres of the 11.5 million acres of commercial forest land 

are classed as black walnut type 

(Bones 1978). The estimated volume 

of black walnut is 107 million cubic 

feet in trees larger than 5 inches in 

diameter at breast height (d.b.h.), 

and 207 million board feet in trees 

larger than 9 inches in d.b.h. 

Seventy-three percent of the cubic 

volume and 50 percent of the boardfoot volume is in trees less than 15 

inches in d.b.h. 

Because of heavy cutting of 

1 individual trees, and disregard for 

regeneration, black walnut seed I sources have been eliminated from 

many of the sites where they 

occurred naturally in W,est Virginia. 

However, under proper management 

on suitable sites, the amount of 

black walnut in West Virginia 

forests probably can be increased 

substantially. 

This paper reports on the 7-year 

growth and survival of black waln~t 

seedlings planted on the Fernow 

Experimental Forest near Parsons, 

West Virginia. The seedlings were 

grown from seeds collected at several locations in or near the southern and central Appalachians. 

The objective of the outplanting 

is to bring together genetically different seedlings from several locations for the development of a black 

walnut seed orchard in West Virginia. Also, performance of black 

walnut plantations, in West Virginia 

has not been well documented. This 

report provides early growth data 

and cultural information that could 

be useful to those interested in 

growing walnut. 

Methods 

Families 

Thirty-four families of 1-0 black 

walnut were outplanted in the 

spring of 1976 on the Fernow 

Experimental Forest near Parsons, 

West Virginia. Families from four 

states are represented in the West 

Virginia outplanting; 21 are from 

West Virginia, 7 from Pennsylvania, 

4 from North Carolina, and 2 from 

Tennessee (Table 1). The spread 

between the most easterly and 

westerly family is approximately 600 

miles. The distance between the 

most northern and southern family 

is about 350 miles. The outplanting 

site is about 100 miles north of the 

center of the collection areas. 

As far as is known, all of the 

collections were from single trees 

and many were located around farmsteads. It is possible that some of 

parent trees are not native to the 

locale where they are growing, 

because farmers often planted varieties of nursery stock for nut 

production rather than for timber. 

Differences in elevation among 

families ranged from 600 feet for 

some of the bottom-land sites to 

more than 2,350 feet for upland and 

mountain sites. 

Study Area 

Because of space limitations, 

two areas were logged and cleared 

of slash for the outplanting. Both 

areas are relatively level, with 

slopes not exceeding 10 percent. 

The first area is at an elevation of 

2,800 feet above sea level. The soil 

is a Belmont silt loam derived from 

the Greenbrier limestone formation. 

The other area is at an elevation of 

2,720 feet. The soil on this area is 

mapped as a Meckesville silt loam, 

which is colluvial in origin. The soil 

has some limestone influence 

because it lies just downslope from 

the limestone-derived Belmont 

series. 

Annual precipitation on the 

Fernow Experimental Forest is 58 

inches and is well distributed 

throughout the year. Mean annual 

temperature is 48" F and the length 

of the frost-free season is about 145 

days. The Belmont soil study area 

has an oak site index between 80 

and 85; the Meckesville site is about 

site index 80 for oak. 

Both areas were forested 

before planting. The stands were 70- 

to 75-year-old mixed hardwoods, and 

included a high proportion of black 

cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), 

yellow-poplar (Liriodendron 

tulipifera L.), northern red oak 

(Quercus rubra L.), sugar maple 

(Acer saccharum Marsh.), and white 

ash (Fraxinus americana L.). On the 

Belmont area there were a few scattered black walnut trees. 

Sawtimber and pulpwood trees 

larger than 5 inches in d.b.h. were 

harvested. The remaining stems 

were felled and removed along with 

the slash by winching with a tractor 

from the perimeter of the area. 

Planting and Culture 

The study design was a randomized complete block. Six rectangular blocks were laid out 

parallel with the contour. Four were 

on the Belmont soil and two were 

on the Meckesville soil. Trees were 

planted in 5-tree row plots at a 

spacing of 6 by 12 feet, i.e., trees 

were 6 feet apart in rows 12 feet 

apart; 1-0 seedlings were planted in 

8-inch diameter holes prepared with 

a power auger. Average height of 

seedlings was about 1.0 foot at 

planting time and roots were pruned 

to about 10 inches. To keep the 

trees in a free-to-grow position, 

competing vegetation was mowed 

four times during the early life of 

the plantation. Hand-held power 

brush cutters were used. 
Table 1.-Location and characteristics of black walnut parent trees 

Parent tree 

Family State County Latitude Longitude number N W 0.b.h. Merchantable 

height Site 

Morgan 

Wayne 

Rowan 

McDowelI 

Alexander 

Buncombe 

Berks 

Cumberland 

Chester 

Chester 

York 

Cumberland 

Greene 

Upshur 

Lewis 

Braxton 

Braxton 

Braxton 

Gilmer 

Tucker 

Pendleton 

Pocahontas 

Pocahontas 

Greenbrier 

Greenbrier 

Monroe 

Summers 

Boone 

Boone 

Boone 

Kanawha 

Clay 

Tucker 

Monongalia 

Inches 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

a 

14.0 

a 

40.5 

24.3 

a 

18.0 

18.9 

16.0 

18.9 

14.0 

14.0 

20.0 

14.0 

16.0 

14.0 

19.0 

18.0 

25.0 

15.4 

19.2 

11.2 

14.0 

14.0 

24.6 

23.7 

9.6 

22.0 

25.0 

a 

a 

Upland 

Mountain a 

a 

Open grown 

a 

a 

a 

a 

Cove 

Bottom land 

a 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Upland 

Bottom land 

Upland 

Upland 

Bottom land 

Upland 

Upland a 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Bottom land 

Upland 

a Data not recorded. 
Results 

I 

Site Differences Survival showed no atmarent correlations 

At the end of seven growing 

seasons, seedlings growing on the 

Belmont soil and those on 

Meckesville soil did not differ significantly in total height, 7-year 

height growth, d.b.h., stem diameter 

at 1.0 inch above ground, or stem 

diameter growth. 

.- - 

between sur;ival and latitude and At the end Of years, average longitude of the parent trees. survival was 84 percent for all 

blocks and families (Table 2). 

Survival amona families was sianif- Height Growth 

icantly different at the ~-~erceG Average total height for all 

level. Fifty percent of the families blocks and families was 6.4 feet at 

exceeded the mean survival for all the end of 7 years (Table 2). There 

families and blocks. Plotting was no significant difference in 

Table 2.-Performance of black walnut families at the end of 7 years 

Average Percent Percent Average Percent 

County 1980-82 mean A:yGge mean stem stem Percent 

Family Average mean mean Percent mean 

and height height height height state stem diameter diameter survival survival 

growth growth diameter diameter growth growth 

Feet 

Boone, WV 7.4(1) a 

Tucker, WV 7.4(1) 

Berks, PA 7.2(3) 

Alexander, NC 7.1(4) 

Greene, PA 7.1 (4) 

McDowell, NC 6.9(6) 

Monroe, WV 6.9(6) 

Buncombe, NC 6.7(8) 

Pendleton, WV 6.7(8) 

Pocohontas, WV 6.7(8) 

Kanawha, WV 6.7(8) 

Chester, PA 6.6(12) 

Braxton, WV 6.6(12) 

Greenbrier, WV 6.6(2) 

Pocohontas, WV 6.5(15) 

Wayne, TN 6.4(16) 

Upshur, WV 6.4(16) 

Lewis, WV 6.4(16) 

Braxton, WV 6.4(16) 

Morgan, TN 6.3(20) 

Boone, WV 6.3(20) 

Boone, WV 6.3(20) 

Monongalia, WV 6.3(20) 

Chester, PA 6.2(24) 

Rowan, NC 6.1 (25) 

Braxton, WV 6.1(25) 

Gilmer, WV 6.1 (25) 

Tucker, WV 6.1 (25) 

Clay, WV 6.0(29) 

York, PA 5.9(30) 

Cumberland, PA 5.7(31) 

Summers, WV 5.1(32) 

Cumberland, PA 4.6(33) 

Greenbrier, WV 4.6(33) 

Average 6.4 

Feet 

2.2 

2.3 

2.4 

2.0 

2.1 

1.9 

1.8 

1.9 

1.5 

2.0 

2.1 

1.9 

1.6 

1.6 

2.1 

1.5 

1.6 

1.8 

1.8 

1.5 

1.6 

1.8 

1.6 

1.6 

1.4 

1.5 

1.6 

1.1 

1.8 

1.6 

1.5 

1.2 

1.4 

1.5 

1.7 

lnches 

1.3 

1.4 

1.2 

1.1 

1.4 

1.2 

1.1 

1.2 

1.2 

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

1.2 

1.1 

1.1 

1 .o 

1.1 

1.1 

1 .o 

1.1 

1.2 

1 .I 

1.2 

1.1 

0.9 

1.1 

1 .o 

1 .o 

1 .o 

1 .o 

1 .o 

0.8 

0.8 

0.7 

1.1 

Inches 

1 .o 

1 .I 

1 .o 

0.9 

1.1 

1 .o 

0.9 

0.9 

1 .o 

0.9 

0.9 

0.9 

0.9 

0.8 

0.9 

0.8 

0.8 

0.8 

0.7 

0.8 

0.9 

0.9 

0.9 

0.8 

0.7 

0.8 

0.8 

0.7 

0.7 

0.8 

0.8 

0.6 

0.6 

0.5 

0.8 

a Numbers in parentheses are family rank. 
total height among families. Thirtyeight percent of the families 

exceeded the plantation mean 

height of 6.4 feet. Of the five families whose average height exceeded 

7.0 feet, two were from West Virginia, two from Pennsylvania, and 

one from North Carolina. 

From 1980 to 1982, height 

growth ranged from 1.1 to 2.4 feet 

and averaged 1.7 feet. There was no 

significant difference in 2-year 

height growth among families. In 

general, families with the best 2- 

year growth also were the tallest 

families. 

Seven-year average height ' growth for all families and blocks 

was 5.4 feet; there was no 

significant difference in 7-year 

average height growth among 

families. Average annual height 

growth for the 7-year period was 

0.77 foot. 

Stem Diameter Growth 

Stem diameter 1.0 inch above 

ground ranged from 0.7 to 1.4 

inches and averaged 1.1 inches over 

all blocks and families (Table 2). 

There was significant difference in 

average stem diameter among 

families. The Tucker County, WV, 

(1660) and Greene County, PA, 

(1666) families were significantly 

different only from family 1645, 

Greenbrier County, WV, according 

to Tukey's studentized range test. 

Average stem diameter of the 

Tucker and Greene County families 

was 1.4 inches. The average stem 

diameter of 68 percent of the families exceeded the plantation mean 

of 1.1 inch. 

Average 7-year stem diameter 

growth was 0.8 inch for all blocks 

and families and differed significantly among families at the 

5-percent level. The Berks County, 

PA, (1600), Tucker County, WV, (1660), 

and Greene County, PA, 

(1666) families were significantly 

different only from the Greenbrier 

County, WV, (1645) family; the latter 

had the slowest stem diameter 

growth. Average 7-year stem 

diameter growth was 1.0 inch for 

the Berks County family and 1.1 

inches for the Tucker and Greene 

County families. 

Diameter at Breast Height 

Diameter at breast height 

ranged from 0.3 to 0.7 inch and 

averaged 0.6 inch for all families 

There were no significant differences in d.b.h. among families. 

Stem Form 

At this time, many of the seedlings have widely divergent forks 

(Fig. 1). According to Schlesinger 

and Funk (1977), much of th-is type 

of forking is due to lateral branch 

Figure 1.-Black walnur tree showing a widely divergent fork. 

4 
Summary and Discussion 

development after leader tips have 

been killed back by late spring 

frosts, deer browsing, or insect 

attacks. Corrective pruning has 

been advocated to develop better 

walnut form, but Schlesinger (1982) 

recommended allowing trees to 

straighten naturally if possible. 

Lateral pruning is recommended to 

remove branches and stubs that 

might cause defects in the wood on 

the lower bole. In view of Schlesinger's recommendation, we 

decided against corrective pruning 

to see if family differences in form 

will develop in later years. 

Family Ranking 

When families were ranked by 

total height, there were no great 

differences among the top 16 families (only 1 foot). Nor did ranking by 

height result in differences among 

families by geographic origin. The 

two best performing families were 

Tucker County, WV, (1660) and 

Boone County, WV, (1652), though 

progeny from several locations in 

Pennsylvania and North Carolina 

also ranked high. 

At the end of 7 growing 

seasons, some differences among 

families are apparent. Survival, average stem diameter, and average 

?-year stem diameter growth 

differed significantly among families, but average total height, 

1980-82 height growth, and d.b.h. 

did not. 

Some of the best performing 

families have origins considerably 

distant from the planting site. The 

7-year results indicated that seed 

collections from most of the 34 

sources, probably would grow well 

in West Virginia. 

In general, survival in We'st Virginia compares favorably to a plantation on a cleared forested site in 

southern Illinois and on an old field 

in Maryland (Krajicek 1975; Little et 

al. 1975). However, total height at 

the Illinois and Maryland sites was 

considerably better than that in the 

West Virginia outplanting for a 

similar period. The apparent slower 

growth in West Virginia can be attributed partially to top dieback of 

undetermined origin that affected 

many trees during the first 5 years. 

Top dieback has declined during the 

past 2 years; this should result in 

increased height growth. 

Current seed-source recommendations for black walnut state 

that sources from 200 miles south 

of the intended planting site and 50 

miles north can be planted and 

expected to grow well (Schlesinger 

and Funk 1977). Deneke et al. (1980) 

stated that it appears safe to move 

seed from untested black walnut 

trees south to north but never from 

north to south. They add that for 

optimum growth, seedlings can be 

moved at least 100 miles (but no 

more than 200 miles) from south to 

north. The more conservative figure 

should be used in the northern onehalf and western one-third of the 

species range. Deneke et al. (1980) 

also suggested that unless seed 

needs are critical, east to west 

transfer of seeds other than 

between adjacent zones should be 

avoided. 
Literature Cited 

The Tucker County, WV, 

outplanting is situated approximately 100 miles south of the most 

northern source, 250 miles west of 

the most easterly source, 250 miles 

north of the most southern source, 

and 280 mlles east of the most 

westerly source. In addition, 

because the West Virginia site is 

somewhat higher in elevation than 

most of the family origin sites, 

movement distances must be 

adjusted to account for this. Nevertheless, most of the families have 

survived and performed reasonably 

well in West Virginia. All of the 

surviving trees are in a free-to-grow 

position and this condition will be 

maintained. Stem form on many 

trees is less than desired but 

corrective pruning will not be undertaken at this time. Natural straightening is occurring on some trees 

and this will be documented for 

future family correlations. 

Bones, James T. The forest 

resources of West Virginia. Res. 

Bull. NE-56. Broomall, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station; 1978. 105 p. 

Deneke, Frederick J.; Funk, David T.; 

Bey, Calvin. Preliminary seed 

collection zones for black walnut. 

NA-FBIM-4. Broomall, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northeastern Area State 

and Private Forestry; 1980. 5 p. 

Krajicek, John E. Planted black 

walnut does well on cleared forest 

sites-if competition is controlled. Res. Note NC-192. St. 

Paul, MN: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, North 

Central Forest Experiment 

Station; 1975. 4 p. 

Little, Silas; Bey, Calvin; McConaughy, Daniel. Local sources of 

black walnut recommended for 

planting in Maryland. Res. Note 

NE-185. Upper Darby, PA: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northeastern Forest 

Experiment Station; 1975. 3 p. 

Schlesinger, Richard C. Pruning for 

quality. In: 72nd Annual Report of 

the Northern Nut Growers Association; 1982: 135-139. 

Schlesinger, Richard C.; Funk, David 

T. Manager's handbook for black 

walnut. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-38. 

St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, North 

Central Forest Experiment 

Station; 1977. 22 p. 
Wendel, G. W.; Dorn, Donald E. Survival and growth of black 

walnut families after 7 years in West Virginia. Res. Pap. 

NE-569. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station; 1985. 6 p. 

Average survival, 7-year stem diameter, and stem diameter 

growth differed significantly among 34 black walnut families 

planted in West Virginia. Average total height, height growth, 

and diameter at breast height were not significantly different 

among families. Families were from seed collected in West 

Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The 

7-year results indicated that although survival was significantly different among families, differences in height growth 

were not well enough defined to recommend sources for 

planting. 

ODC 232.11:176.1 

Keywords: Progeny test; black walnut; height growth 
Headquarters of the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station are in 

Broomall, Pa. Field laboratories are maintained at: 

Amherst, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the University of 

Massachusetts. 

Berea, Kentucky, in cooperation with Berea College. 

Burlington, Vermont, in cooperation with the University of 

Vermont. 

Delaware, Ohio. 

Durham, New Hampshire, in cooperation with the University of 

New Hampshire. 

Hamden, Connecticut, in cooperation with Yale University. 

Morgantown, West Virginia, in cooperation with West Virginia 

University, Morgantown. 

Orono, Maine, in cooperation with the University of Maine, 

Orono. 

Parsons, West Virginia. 

0 Princeton, West Virginia. 

Syracuse, New York, in cooperation with the State University of 

New York College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at 

Syracuse University, Syracuse. 

University Park, Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the 

Pennsylvania State University. 

Warren, Pennsylvania.