Broad-crowned tree to 30 m tall with silvery-grey bark becoming furrowed. Leaves compound, alternate. Leaflets (5-)7-9(-13), elliptic or oblong-oval and with very few teeth, 5-12 cm long. Flowers appear with the leaves in spring. Fruits in groups of 1-3, round, green, 4-5 cm long; the nut is ellipsoid, pointed and relatively thin shelled with protruding ridges.
E Europe, N Asia
Extremely variable owing to the wide range of horticultural clones which are grafted or budded; there are also hybrids with other species including J. nigra, J. ailantifolia , and J. cinerea.
By far the majority of plantation trees in Australia are the cultivar 'Franquette', although many other cultivars are available including: 'Ashley', 'Hartley', 'Lompoc', 'Mayette', 'Treyve Mayette', 'Eureka', 'Tehama', 'Vina', 'Wilson's Wonder', 'Freshford Gem' and 'Myrtleford Jewel'. The latter two are Australian cultivars selected by L. J. Wicks (S Australia) and the Schlapp brothers, respectively. Recent cultivars are primarily lateral rather than terminal bearing and cultivars for dry areas may be explored more.
Edible nuts (sometimes pickled); timber.
NSW: Mt Tomah (Blue Mountains Botanic Garden Mount Tomah). VIC: Balnarring ('Coolart'); Churchill Island (old homestead, planted c.1890); Myrtleford ('Merriang' Homestead, 14.9 m tall, 22 m wide in 1988); Buninyong (old Mossmont Nursery site, more than 100 years old). TAS: Hobart (Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens).
Source: (1997). Juglandaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
Leaflets deeply cut; generally found in old gardens.
