Evergreens and juglone

Discussion in 'Gymnosperms (incl. Conifers)' started by Buddleia, Aug 1, 2009.

  1. Buddleia

    Buddleia Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Eastern Ontario, Canada zone 5
    Does anyone have experiences to share? I moved to a new house with a couple of very established black walnuts, ash and beech trees plus a few token shrubs. I realize there are very few evergreens that will tolerate the juglone but I really need to get some evergreen action going on in the back yard as it's all deciduous at present and just doesn't look or feel right to me. Any help would be appreciated.
    TIA
     
  2. tsugajunkie

    tsugajunkie Active Member

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    I can say with certainty that Tsuga canadensis and Chamaecyparis obtusa grow quite well even under the canopy of a Black Walnut. Also, I have a Chamaecyparis pisifera well within the root zone doing well. I have heard others mention Picea abies and Pinus strobus but I cannot testify to those.

    tj
     
  3. Buddleia

    Buddleia Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Eastern Ontario, Canada zone 5
    Thanks for the reply.
    This time of year all the grocery store garden centres are closing up so I got some very inexpensive plants to experiment with. Apparently mugho pines don't do well with juglone but I have a $5 one I am willing to sacrifice to find out for sure.
    I have read so much conflicting information that I don't know what to think anymore. I was speaking with one very knowledgeable evergreen person on the weekend who said he knew someone that tried all the usual deciduous plants like beech, ash, lilacs, etc and all of them died so we were thinking maybe it was too hard on a plant to be put in that situation, rather if they are put there at the same time and get used to each other over time. I don't know. One good thing is my soil is very well draining so maybe I'll get lucky with the mugho pine.
    I'll try a Tsuga next year, my neighbour has one growing about 4 inches from the house, poor thing. Chamaecyparis obtusa are only hardy here up to where the snow covers them in winter so they don't get very big unfortunately.
     
  4. tsugajunkie

    tsugajunkie Active Member

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    Other woody plants I've planted (loooong after the walnut was established) are Aesculus parviflora, Corylus americana, Amelanchier x grandiflora (although I've heard conflicting results-mine had a bumper crop this year- Serviceberry pie is awesome!), and Viburnums trilobum and plicatum var. tomentosum. A Viburnum cassinoides did poorly and recovered when moved but that may have been a light issue.

    tj

    p.s. Two other conifers I've had at the drip line for several years are Thuja occidentalis and Pinus cembra.
     
  5. Buddleia

    Buddleia Active Member 10 Years

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    Location:
    Eastern Ontario, Canada zone 5
    I went looking for small Emerald cedars but they have all sold out at this point. Some places might get some in again in September but probably not smaller ones.
    When I moved in I brought with me a Cercis canadensis "Forest Pansy" and a very mature blue hosta and planted them without even realizing the "danger" but as it turns out these are "safe plants. The existing plants were probably planted the same time as the black walnuts and they are white ash, lilac (which has borers so that is coming out), beech, Manitoba and black maples which are pretty much cleared out. There were a couple of raggedy honeysuckles, one is fruiting and a dove seems to like feeding from it so I'll leave that until the fruit is gone then out it comes to be replaced with a juniper, apparently Juniper virginiana are ok but I am going to plant a scopulorum so hopefully that will be ok. I also read that Japanese larch are not safe but was wondering about European or Canadian larch. I have a small European I am testing too. There is a very mature Amelenchier that has been smothered out by the black maples to hopefully that will come back next year with more light, a mature Amur maple that can stay and I did plant a virburnam lantana on the other side of the garden from the black walnut so that's another one I will keep my fingers crossed on.
    I don't mind if something is stunted but I won't be very happy if something out and out dies. But I have been pretty careful in not putting things that are clearly on on the intolerant of juglone list, things that I must have are planted in the front yard where I am hoping they are far enough away from the juglone.
    The back was all dediduous this past winter and I felt it was lacking something evergreen so at least I will have a juniper to look at next winter :)
     

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