Blossom in the walnut tree - everything you need to know

Blossom in the walnut tree - everything you need to know

Male and female flowers

The walnut is a monoecious plant. So the tree bears both male and female flowers.

also read

  • Walnut tree buds - everything you need to know
  • Buckwheat blossom - everything you need to know in a nutshell
  • The birch in a profile - everything you need to know at a glance

Male flowers in portrait

The male flowers are also called catkins. They are arranged in long, cylindrical and pendulous catkins and usually open in April or May. In terms of color, the male flowers are presented in a pretty mix of green and yellow. They are very noticeable - but more because of the thick inflorescences than the color. The male flowers of the walnut are usually six to twelve centimeters long. It is extremely interesting that they develop from the axillary buds of the leaves from the previous year.

For those who want to know exactly: Every single male flower consists of

  • three to six tepals,
  • two pages and
  • a support sheet.

These envelop the up to 40 stamens that lie inside.

Female flowers in portrait

The female flowers appear very inconspicuous. They are always at the end of this year's, i.e. current shoots - either in pairs or in clusters of up to five flowers - and usually come four weeks after the kittens.

Here, too, a more detailed portrait for the botanical enthusiast:

  • 10 to 15 mm long
  • 5 to 10 mm wide
  • four-part perigone
  • Bracts and bracts (initially form a hairy cover)
  • lower, two-leaved ovary
  • two conspicuous, feathery scar lobes
  • a short stylus

Note: The two-part stylus brings the two scar flaps into the correct position for fertilization. At first the scars are shiny green, later they are reddish in color.

Type of pollination

The flowers are pollinated by the wind. In technical jargon, one speaks of anemophilia in this context.

Time of first flowering

As a rule, a walnut tree flowers for the first time around 15 to 20 years. That is why there is no fruit to be harvested beforehand.