Stats

Lifespan: Up to 100 yrs
Size: Large
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate woodland
Range: North America
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Near Threatened

About

The Southern California Walnut is a small deciduous tree native to the chaparral and foothill woodlands of the Los Angeles Basin and surrounding ranges, where it once formed dense groves now fragmented by urban development. Its marble-sized nuts are cached by scrub jays and ground squirrels, making it a keystone species that supports dozens of native insects, birds, and mammals.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fagales
Family: Juglandaceae
Genus: Juglans
Species: Juglans californica