Hi Madeleine,

While I haven't planted any myself (yet!) I've seen Echinacea purpurea plants growing well within the root zone of a black walnut tree in my town. Good luck!

That's good enough for me. I'll be shopping the garden stores over the next few weeks --- thanks for the good news.

--Madeleine

I've had no problems growing Echinacea in my yard under huge walnut trees & mulched w/ walnut compost.

Great! even more reason to get going. I saw your post in the black walnut support group -- have you been dealing with juglone for long?

My next question is how does red hot poker (Kniphofia uvaria) do with black walnuts? Kniphofia is one of my all time favorites and I would be thrilled to be able to have it in my garden.

--Madeleine in Philadelphia

Glad you asked! I have red hot pokers in my garden, and they seem to be doing just fine. I planted them last July after they were done blooming, so I haven't seen blooms yet, but their foliage is perky and healthy looking. After staying evergreen all winter, I'm seeing them produce new growth now. It's a challenge finding butterfly and hummingbird plants that are walnut-resistant, but I've found that the more I plant and the more I research, the easier it becomes. I can't wait to really get started planting!

I haven't been gardening for long, just since last season. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but once I start attracting more butterflies and birds, I guess I will. As of now, I have red hot pokers, showy sedum, daylilies, gaillardia, violets, and shasta daisies, and cannas. I haven't started planting yet, but I have seedlings of: purple milkweed (a. pupurascens), tropical milkweed, hollyhock, false nettle, foxglove, dill, and parsley that are going outside soon. Only the hollhock, dill, and parsley are known to be compatible, so I'll be crossing my fingers!

I'm doing a LOT of buying and planting of perennials this year, focusing on natives, hummingbird nectar plants, and butterfly host plants. I'll post as I go. One day I hope to post a list of the plants that did well and not so well on here, because many common (or not so common) wildlife-friendly plants aren't on the lists online.

I've been gardening under BW trees for over 25 years, but for the 1st few years I had no idea why so many of my plants on the east side of the yard were dying. I wasted alot of time & money back then... Oh well.

This is my 2nd yard surrounded by BW. Growing in the root zone is daylilies, sedum, hostas, asters, raspberries, trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, daffodils, Lythrum (sterile), echinacea, sweet woodruff, buttercups, black-eye susan, ferns, iris, solomon's seal, Glory of the Snow & Dutchman's Britches.
Nearby is Coral bells, penstemon, thyme, columbine & clematis. These last plants aren't near roots (at least not yet...), but they get covered w/ BW leaves & stems in the fall & seem fine.

I've read that Peonies aren't tolerant, but I grew many types at my old house, and I have an old short variety that I transferred here, which I dug-up yrs ago from an old house that were growing under walnut trees. It's one of my favorites.

Another very tolerant favorite is Purple Curly Basil - looks alot like Coleus, spreads by seed but not invasive or rampant. And the birds go crazy over this plant for 1 week in Oct when the seeds are ready. The first year I had just one plant by the back door & so many birds converged on this plant it was like something from a Hitchcock movie. Before I knew it's real name, I labeled it 'Bird Bait' when I shared seedlings w/ other gardeners.
Good luck!