Open Grow Guide

English Walnut (Juglans regia)

Formerly Juglans arguta, Juglans fallax, Juglans fertilis

By Open Grow Guide Updated

Give English walnut full sun. It prefers well-drained, moist soil. The soil pH range is 6 to 8. It is a tree that reaches 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m) tall. It is listed for hardiness zones 3a to 7b. Its growth rate is moderate. Watering needs and toxicity to cats and dogs are not documented here.

English walnut (Juglans regia), whole plant
Walnuts ripening in my back yard.

Photo: Robert Taylor from Stirling, ON, Canada, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts

Each value is the cited value from the sources listed at the end of this page.
Light Full sun12
Soil Well drained and moist; pH 6–8311 source
Hardiness Zones 3a–7b11 source
Size 40–60 ft (12.19–18.29 m) × 40–60 ft (12.19–18.29 m)11 source
Growth rate Moderate21 source
Bloom May–Jun and Mar–Apr, Yellow and green156
Cats Not documented by major sources
Dogs Not documented by major sources
Native range AFG, IRN, IRQ, LBS, NCS, PAK, TCS, TUR, WHM7
Family Juglandaceae

How much light does an English Walnut need?

English walnut needs full sun, meaning 6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It is shade intolerant and prefers rich, deep soils. Full sun is the only light level recorded for this tree. At maturity it reaches 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m) in both height and spread.

  • LightFull sun12

Best soil for an English Walnut

Walnuts prefer well-drained, moist, loamy soil, but they grow in many local soil types with proper drainage. The listed soil pH runs from 6 to 8, which the extension source calls neutral. Drainage is recorded as both well drained and moist. Rich, deep soils are also preferred. In short, aim for loamy, well-drained soil that stays moist and tests between pH 6 and 8.

  • Soil drainageWell drained and moist3
  • Soil pHpH 6–81

Hardiness and temperature

English walnut is listed for USDA hardiness zones 3a to 7b. The listed divisions are 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. In the United States it is recorded as introduced in the lower 48 states. Gardeners in zones colder than 3a or warmer than 7b fall outside the listed range.

  • HardinessZones 3a–7b1

How to plant an English Walnut

Check that your zone falls between 3a and 7b before you plant English walnut. Pick a full sun spot. The tree is shade intolerant. Leave room for a mature width of 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m). Mature height is also 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m). Choose well-drained, moist, loamy soil with a pH between 6 and 8. The growth rate is moderate.

  • HardinessZones 3a–7b1

Winter care

Winter hardiness is recorded as zones 3a to 7b. The listing reaches zone 3a at the cold end and 7b at the warm end. The full list is 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a and 7b. Outside zones 3a to 7b, hardiness is not recorded. Check your zone against the listing before you count on the tree surviving winter.

  • HardinessZones 3a–7b1

Common problems

Codling moth and walnut husk fly are the pests recorded for English walnut. The recorded diseases are anthracnose, root rot, canker, leaf spot, walnut blight and thousand cankers disease. The extension text also names bacterial blight and shoot dieback as problems that can occur. The UC pest management text also names navel orangeworm and ants among the things to look for.

  • Common pestscodling moth and walnut husk fly4
  • Common diseasesanthracnose, root rot, canker, leaf spot, walnut blight and thousand cankers disease1
Pests and diseases recorded for this plant by the sources listed at the end of this page.
ProblemKind
Codling moth Pest
Walnut husk fly Pest
Anthracnose Disease
Root rot Disease
Canker Disease
Leaf spot Disease
Walnut blight Disease
Thousand cankers disease Disease

Is English Walnut toxic to cats and dogs?

Not documented by major sources Not documented by major sources

Recommended supplies

  • Soil: a free-draining mix, and a pot with a drainage hole.

Questions and answers

How much sun does English walnut need?
English walnut needs full sun, meaning 6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It is shade intolerant and prefers rich, deep soils. Full sun is the only light level recorded.
How big does English walnut get?
It usually grows 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m) tall. Its width is also 40 to 60 ft (12.19–18.29 m). The growth rate is moderate, and the plant type is a tree.
Where is English walnut native?
The native range record lists AFG, IRN, IRQ, LBS, NCS, PAK, TCS, TUR and WHM. In the lower 48 US states it is recorded as introduced.

Sources

  1. NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/juglans-regia/. Accessed 14 October 2026.
  2. Utah State University Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/treebrowser/catalog/walnut-english-persian. Accessed 14 October 2026.
  3. Utah State University Extension. https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/walnuts-in-the-home-orchard. Accessed 14 October 2026.
  4. UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. https://ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/walnut/seasonal-pest-damage-in-harvest-samples/. Accessed 31 October 2026.
  5. Chicago Botanic Garden. https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/juglans-regia-lake-lake-english-walnut. Accessed 27 October 2026.
  6. Chicago Botanic Garden. https://www.chicagobotanic.org/plant-information/plant-finder/juglans-regia-hansen-hansen-english-walnut. Accessed 27 October 2026.
  7. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (World Checklist of Vascular Plants). https://sftp.kew.org/pub/data-repositories/WCVP/wcvp.zip. Accessed 4 June 2026.

How this page was made

  • Written with AI assistance from the sources listed on this page. AI is never the source of a fact.

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