VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Juglans microcarpa | Little Walnut 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Wood of little walnut is dark brown, hard and heavy but not strong [36].
Sapwood is white [36].  Annual rings are poorly cemented and the wood
frequently comes apart as it is being worked [20].  This characteristic
limits its use [20].  However, wood is sometimes used to make cabinets,
furniture, paneling, and veneer [36].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Little walnut provides some deer browse in parts of New Mexico [19].
The nuts are a valuable food source for many wildlife species including
squirrels and other rodents [5,30,36].  The rock squirrel readily
consumes nuts when available [30].


PALATABILITY : 
Nuts of little walnut are highly palatable to a wide variety of wildlife
species [5].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
The nut meat of little walnut is described as nutritious and of "high
quality" [30].


COVER VALUE : 
Riparian woodlands dominated by little walnut host a diverse array of
animal life [7].  These areas form particularly good habitat for many
species of birds [7].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Little walnut has been widely used for shelterbelt plantings [6,38] and
has shown promise for use in some types of rehabilitation projects.
Under certain conditions, it can aid in soil stabilization [33].  Plants
can be easily propagated from seed.  Cleaned seed averages 92 per pound
(203/ kg) [5].  Seed can be planted during the fall in sandy soils at
depths of 1 to 2 inches (3-5 cm) [36].  Methods of propagating by seed
have been examined in detail [5,36].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Little walnut plants are sometimes cultivated for the sweet, edible nuts
[17,30,31].  It is the primary rootstock used in Texas for trials of
nonnative walnuts and has potential value for use in developing walnut
cultivars [29].  It has been cultivated as an ornamental and shade tree
in both the United States and Europe [36].  Plants were first cultivated
in 1868 [5].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Damage:  The walnut husk fly infests ripening fruit of little walnut
after late summer rains [20].  The amount of fruit damaged by this
insect varies annually but generally tends to be less in exposed windy
areas [20].  Mature little walnut appears to be relatively unaffected by
even "devastating" flash floods [14].

Disease:  Little walnut is highly susceptible to root or crown rot when
periodically flooded [24].  It is less susceptible to the fungus-caused
walnut anthracose than black walnut is [3].

Related categories for Species: Juglans microcarpa | Little Walnut