Juglans regia Walnut

A tree native to southeast Europe and Asia that has pinnate leaves which have 5 or more leaflets, the terminal one larger than the others. The bark is silvery grey and markedly ridged in a sriking pattern. Nuts are often produced in abundance but only open after long, warm, dry summers and then ripen in autumn.The wood is a rich brown colour, very valuable, regarded as unique in quality and durability and prized in furniture making. It has been cultivated in Britain for centuries but it does not occur naturalised. It is occasionally found as a street tree but more often occurs in parks and gardens. The foliage, pollen and fruit of Walnut are rich in polyphenol compounds reputed to have anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties, as well as tannins, flavonoids and napthoquinones. The walnut itself is widely regarded to have health benefits as a result of the omega-3 fatty acids and fibre that they contain.