Is leucothoe black walnut tolerant? - Ask Extension
Hi. I have two varieties of leucothoe (axillaris and fontanesiana). I'd like to move them to protect them from deer damage. Can you tell me if they wi...
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Is leucothoe black walnut tolerant? #889871
Asked November 15, 2024, 10:04 AM EST
Hi. I have two varieties of leucothoe (axillaris and fontanesiana). I'd like to move them to protect them from deer damage. Can you tell me if they will thrive under a black walnut tree? I understand some plants are sensitive to juglone.
Thanks!
Baltimore City County Maryland
Expert Response
Deer usually (granted, not always) leave Leucothoe alone, so they generally don't need protection from browsing. Have they been eating the foliage?
Juglone may or may not pose a real-world challenge for planting; scientific study has been based on laboratory conditions, and might not be applicable to in-the-ground conditions for plants in the garden. Many Extension web pages do share lists for juglone-resistant species, but be aware that this is based mostly on observation, not testing, and might not reflect an actual intolerance by the plant. (Plenty of other unrelated issues could have caused the plants listed as sensitive to juglone to decline or die in the proximity of a walnut tree.) For what it's worth, we can't find a reference that lists Leucothoe as either resistant or tolerant to juglone.
Miri
Juglone may or may not pose a real-world challenge for planting; scientific study has been based on laboratory conditions, and might not be applicable to in-the-ground conditions for plants in the garden. Many Extension web pages do share lists for juglone-resistant species, but be aware that this is based mostly on observation, not testing, and might not reflect an actual intolerance by the plant. (Plenty of other unrelated issues could have caused the plants listed as sensitive to juglone to decline or die in the proximity of a walnut tree.) For what it's worth, we can't find a reference that lists Leucothoe as either resistant or tolerant to juglone.
Miri
Thanks, Miri. Something has been eating the foliage, so I'm guessing it was deer. I think I'll try moving it in our fenced area. Thank you for your quick response.
You're welcome.
