Thursday's Plant -- Pterocarya stenoptera

Pendulous nutlets appear green, then brown, as they mature in September and October. Somewhat obscure in this country, Chinese wingnut is popular in Europe and Asia where it is used in landscapes requiring large trees.

Pterocarya stenoptera

Pterocarya stenoptera is a handsome member of the Juglandaceae or walnut family. The name itself (from the Greek pteron meaning winged, and karyon meaning nut) refers to this large tree, which is one of 10 species of trees all native to the Caucasus and East Asia region.
The Chinese wingnut was first sent to France by a missionary, Joseph Callery, in 1844 from whence Casimir de Candolle founded the species.
It is a handsome specimen tree, often growing to 82 1/2 feet (25 meters) in its native stands. The straight-growing trunk is fissured. The handsome, textured foliage is similar to that of Carya with the young buds and stalks often covered with pale brown-yellow hairs, quite showy during the first year.
SPECIFICS:
Name: Pterocarya stenoptera
Common name: Chinese wingnut.
Family: Juglandaceae.
Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 6.
Size: To 80 feet or taller, so not for a small landscape.
Landscape value: Large, deciduous tree with rough bark and attractive foliage, suitable for large planting sites, parks, playgrounds or along city streets.

The long leaves composed of 11-25 leaflets are variable in shape, typical of members of this family, and drop as cold weather approaches. Plants are supposedly hardy to minus 10F and we have not noted problems here in Seattle. Like Carya, the trees are monoecious, but male and female flowers do not open simultaneously, so you will need more than one tree for production of the small winged nutlets. Both the male and female inflorescences are pendulous catkins that are light green in color.
In China, this tree is frequently planted as a street tree. In California, it has been used successfully for parks and playgrounds, and seems to withstand compaction. Being a large tree and having a rather aggressive root system, it is not recommended for small gardens.
In the Washington Park Arboretum, we also have specimens of the caucasian wingnut (P. fraxinifolia) and the Japanese wingnut (P. rhoifolia) which are similar in appearance.
As with most members of the walnut family, they are easily propagated by seed. Seeds are either fall-planted or stratified for three months at 36F-40F. Seeds seem to germinate better with a stratification process.
The trees often produce suckers from the extensive root system, and some sources report success with root cuttings.
-- By John A. Wott, Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle

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Pendulous nutlets appear green, then brown, as they mature in September and October.	Somewhat obscure in this country, Chinese wingnut is popular in Europe and Asia where it is used in landscapes requiring large trees.

Pterocarya stenoptera
Pterocarya stenoptera is a handsome member of the Juglandaceae or walnut family. The name itself (from the Greek pteron meaning winged, and karyon meaning nut) refers to this large tree, which is one of 10 species of trees all native to the Caucasus and East Asia region. The Chinese wingnut was first sent to France by a missionary, Joseph Callery, in 1844 from whence Casimir de Candolle founded the species. It is a handsome specimen tree, often growing to 82 1/2 feet (25 meters) in its native stands. The straight-growing trunk is fissured. The handsome, textured foliage is similar to that of Carya with the young buds and stalks often covered with pale brown-yellow hairs, quite showy during the first year.	SPECIFICS: Name: Pterocarya stenoptera Common name: Chinese wingnut. Family: Juglandaceae. Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 6. Size: To 80 feet or taller, so not for a small landscape. Landscape value: Large, deciduous tree with rough bark and attractive foliage, suitable for large planting sites, parks, playgrounds or along city streets.
The long leaves composed of 11-25 leaflets are variable in shape, typical of members of this family, and drop as cold weather approaches. Plants are supposedly hardy to minus 10F and we have not noted problems here in Seattle. Like Carya, the trees are monoecious, but male and female flowers do not open simultaneously, so you will need more than one tree for production of the small winged nutlets. Both the male and female inflorescences are pendulous catkins that are light green in color. In China, this tree is frequently planted as a street tree. In California, it has been used successfully for parks and playgrounds, and seems to withstand compaction. Being a large tree and having a rather aggressive root system, it is not recommended for small gardens. In the Washington Park Arboretum, we also have specimens of the caucasian wingnut (P. fraxinifolia) and the Japanese wingnut (P. rhoifolia) which are similar in appearance. As with most members of the walnut family, they are easily propagated by seed. Seeds are either fall-planted or stratified for three months at 36F-40F. Seeds seem to germinate better with a stratification process. The trees often produce suckers from the extensive root system, and some sources report success with root cuttings. -- By John A. Wott, Washington Park Arboretum, Seattle