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| Walnut trees in Kashmir |
One day, a crow finds a walnut and carries it away, searching for a safe place to eat or store its treasure. It may drop the walnut beneath the soil, hide it among fallen leaves, or leave it behind while flying from one branch to another. If the walnut remains viable and finds suitable conditions, nature may take over.
With fertile soil, sufficient moisture, and the changing seasons, the walnut can germinate and produce a young seedling. Over the years, that little plant may grow into a majestic walnut tree (Juglans regia), offering shade, shelter for birds, and delicious nuts for generations to come.
In Kashmir, where walnut trees are valued for their nuts, timber, and cultural importance, this simple natural event reminds us that forests can sometimes begin with the smallest acts of nature.
A crow may carry just one walnut, but that walnut may carry the promise of a tree, a habitat, and a future harvest.
Let us protect the birds, nurture naturally growing seedlings, and plant more walnut trees for future generations.
While our workers at the garden centre produce approximately 5,000 walnut seedlings every year, nature is running its own nursery alongside us. Thousands of walnut saplings are being naturally propagated by birds and other animals that carry, bury, and scatter walnuts across the landscape.
At JK Seed Bank, we nurture walnut trees through human effort, while nature quietly plants its own for free. Together, these two forces contribute to the future of Kashmir’s walnut heritage.





