Native Plants
![](../_images/smarty_plants.gif)
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
![](../_images/mr_smarty_plants_logo_web_200w.jpg)
rate this answer
![](../_images/star_43.gif)
Sunday - April 01, 2012
From: Hillsborough, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Poisonous Plants, Shrubs
Title: Will Calycanthus floridus (Eastern sweetshrub) grow near black walnut trees?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Will Calycanthus floridus survive if planted near Black Walnut trees? If not, can you recommend a similar bush that will?ANSWER:
One comment on the Dave's Garden page from "gonedutch" in Fairport, NY says that Calycanthus floridus (Eastern sweetshrub) tolerates growing near black walnuts, but I could find no mention of Eastern sweetshrub in either of the two articles I found about plants that are tolerant of walnut/juglone toxicity:
- Plants Tolerant of Walnut Toxicity from the Morton Arboretum near Chicago, Illinois.
- Juglone Tolerant Plants from Hawks Nursery.
So, I suppose it is possible that Eastern sweetshrub is tolerant of juglone, but I can't say for sure.
However, here are several shrubs native to North Carolina that are listed as tolerant of growing near black walnuts:
Lindera benzoin (Northern spicebush)
Cercis canadensis (Eastern redbud)
Cornus florida (Flowering dogwood)
Ceanothus americanus (New jersey tea)
Chionanthus virginicus (White fringetree)
Physocarpus opulifolius (Atlantic ninebark)
From the Image Gallery
More Shrubs Questions
Plants that smell like chocolate from Coral Gables FL
July 12, 2012 - I am looking for plants that smell like chocolate. I live in south Florida. We are currently growing and testing Berlandiera lyrata. Do you know of other plants whose flowers smell like chocolate?
view the full question and answer
Texas Mountain Laurel in Florida
March 13, 2009 - Hi Mr. Smarty,
This is more a comment than a question about Barbara Medford's (Estero, FL) question of whether you can grow Texas Mountain Laurel in Ft. Myers, FL. About 4 yrs. ago, I purchased a ...
view the full question and answer
Trimming Texas mountain laurel in Austin
August 27, 2009 - Is there a specific time to trim established mountain laurels? Should I cut off the dried seed pods since they are weighing down the branches?
view the full question and answer
Cenizo for border of school garden from Cedar Park TX
January 27, 2014 - Hi. We're starting a school garden in Central Texas, and instead of building a fence along one side, we'd like to plant a hedge. Ideally, it would grow tall enough to deter deer from jumping over, b...
view the full question and answer
Could lilacs grow in Georgia?
April 27, 2010 - Hi Mr Smarty Pants,
First off, I want to commend you on your promotion of native plants. I am passionately anti-invasive plants (in fact, it was the subject of my master's thesis). That being said...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |