Walnut (Juglans regia) seedlings grown in 0.8% salt soil gained 24% more biomass after 30 days when inoculated with two beneficial fungi, Funneliformis mosseae and Piriformospora indica, compared with untreated stressed plants. The fungal partnership boosted chlorophyll b by 99%, increased antioxidant enzyme activity by as much as 57%, and reduced markers of cellular damage by nearly 29%. Tiny fungal allies helped walnut trees keep growing, photosynthesizing, and defending themselves despite increasingly salty conditions.