Juglans hindsii
Northern california black walnut, Northern California Black Walnut
(c) Dean Wm. Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Juglandaceae · Type: Tree · Native
Conservation status: CNPS CBR
Juglans hindsii (Northern california black walnut) is a native California tree in the Juglandaceae family, recognized by (J. regia). Key features: more leaflets, serrate margins, hair tufts in vein axils.
Northern California black walnut is a California native shrub found in southern North Coast Ranges Interior, southern Sacramento Valley, northern San Joaquin Valley, and San Francisco Bay Area along streams and disturbed slopes at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces inconspicuous green flowers with distinctive leaflet clusters. Growing with trunks 6 to 23 meters tall, it develops a spreading, multi-stemmed form with robust branching. Its compound leaves feature 13 to 21 narrow-triangular to lanceolate leaflets, each 6 to 13 centimeters long with serrated edges and distinctive hair tufts at the undersides of leaf veins. The fruit is a large walnut approximately 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter with a thick, smooth to lightly grooved shell.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species (J. regia). Key features: more leaflets, serrate margins, hair tufts in vein axils
Habitat and range
Habitat: Along streams, disturbed slopes
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Mariposa, Napa, Lake, Colusa, Butte, Contra Costa, Yolo, Santa Barbara, Mendocino, Inyo, Riverside, El Dorado, Placer, Amador, San Diego, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, San Mateo, Tuolumne, Sutter, Marin, Humboldt, Kern, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Trinity, Siskiyou, Solano, Tehama, Stanislaus, Yuba
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Juglans hindsii blooms Apr-May.
Conservation status
CNPS CBR
How to tell it apart
vs Ailanthus: Juglans leaflets lack the gland-teeth at the base that tree-of-heaven shows.; vs Carya: Juglans twigs have chambered centers; hickory twigs are solid throughout.; vs Pistacia: Juglans has chambered twig pith; pistachio has solid pith and resinous smell.; vs Aesculus: Juglans has alternate pinnate leaves; buckeye has opposite palmate leaves with 5-7 leaflets.; vs Fraxinus: Juglans produces nuts in sticky husks; ash produces flat papery winged seeds.
Frequently asked questions
Is Juglans hindsii native to California?
Yes. Juglans hindsii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Juglans hindsii bloom?
Juglans hindsii blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Juglans hindsii grow?
Juglans hindsii occurs in San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, Mariposa, Napa, Lake, Colusa and other counties, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Juglans hindsii belong to?
Juglans hindsii is in the Juglandaceae family, genus Juglans.
Is Juglans hindsii rare or endangered?
Juglans hindsii carries California Rare Plant Rank CBR, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.