Gardening under Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), Butternut (Juglans cinerea) and Hickory (Carya ovata) trees can be quite a challenge but with the right native plants it is a cinch! Trees in the Juglandaceae family produce juglone, a chemical that prohibits the growth of other plants. This is also known as allelopathy.
First Picture: Butternut, Center Picture: Black Walnut, Third Picture: Shagbark Hickory
The following is a list of native plants that are resistant to juglone. There are plenty more but I think this is a good start!
Trees and Shrubs
Acer rubrum - Red Maple
Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple
Amelanchier canadensis - Serviceberry
Amelanchier laevis - Allegheny Serviceberry
Aralia spinosa - Devil’s Walkingstick
Asimina triloba - Pawpaw
Carpinus virginiana - American Hornbeam
Cercis canadensis - Redbud
Cornus amomum - Silky Dogwood
Cornus florida - Common Dogwood
Diospyros virginiana - Common Persimmon
Hamamelis virginiana - Common Witch Hazel
Juniperus virginiana - Eastern Red Cedar
Lindera benzoin - Spicebush
Physocarpus opulifolius - Ninebark
Prunus serotina - Black Cherry
Rubus odoratus - Flowering Raspberry
Salix discolor - Pussy Willow
Sambucus canadensis - Black Elderberry
Sassafras albidum - Sassafras
Viburnum acerifolium - Mapleleaf Viburnum
Viburnum dentatum - Arrowwood
Xanthorhiza simplicissima - Yellowroot
Vines
Aristolochia durior - Dutchman’s Pipe
Clematis virginiana - Woodbine
Lonicera sempervirens - Coral Honeysuckle
Parthenocissus quinquefolia - Virginia Creeper
Ground Cover
Asarum canadense - Wild Ginger
Aster macrophyllus - Bigleaf Aster
Iris cristata - Dwarf Crested Iris
Viola labradorica - Labrador Violet
Viola sororia - Common Violet
Ferns
Adiantum pedatum - Maidenhair Fern
Athyrium filix-femina - Lady Fern
Dryopteris goldiana - Goldie’s Fern
Dryopteris marginalis - Marginal Fern
Matteuccia struthiopteris - Ostrich Fern
Onoclea sensibilis - Sensitive
Osmunda cinnamomea - Cinnamon Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides - Christmas Fern
Perennials
Aster cordifolius - Blue Wood Aster
Echinacea purpurea - Purple Coneflower
Eupatorium maculatum - Joe Pye Weed
Geranium maculatum - Wild Geranium
Lobelia cardinalis - Cardinal Flower
Lobelia siphilitica - Great Blue Lobelia
Monarda didyma - Bee Balm
Monarda fistulosa - Wild Bergamot
Oenothera fruticosa - Narrow-leaf Evening Primrose
Phlox stolonifera - Creeping Phlox
Physostegia virginiana - Obedient Plant
Podophyllum peltatum - Mayapple
Polemonium reptans - Jacob’s Ladder
Solidago caesia - Bluestem Goldenrod
Solidago flexicaulis - Zigzag Goldenrod
Solidago odora - Sweet Goldenrod
Grasses
Muhlenbergia capillaris - Purple Muhly Grass
Panicum virgatum - Switchgrass
Sedges
Carex appalachica - Appalachian Sedge
Carex bicknellii - Bicknell’s Sedge
Carex pensylvanica - Oak Sedge
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References:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x3rbooIFKQ9APJdYoqxSEObtU2zAVZvSen42afRtsV8/edit?usp=sharing
