The sapwood of Walnut is creamy white, while the heartwood is light brown to dark chocolate brown, occasionally with a purplish cast and darker streaks. The wood develops a rich patina that grows more lustrous with age. Walnut is usually supplied steamed, to darken sapwood. The wood is generally straight-grained, but sometimes with wavy or curly grain that produces an attractive and decorative figure. This species produces a greater variety of figure types than any other.

BOTANICAL NAME: 

Juglans Nigra

ORIGIN: 

North America - native to the eastern United States, from southern Minnesota east to Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, and south to the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. It is also grown in Texas and north through Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

COMMON NAMES: 

American Walnut, Burbank Walnut,  Eastern Black Walnut, Eastern Walnut, Gun Wood, North American Walnut, Virginia Walnut, American Black Walnut Canadian Walnut, Black Hickory Nut, Canaletto, Nogal, and Tocte.

JANKA HARDNESS:

1010

DIMENSIONAL STABILITY:

Excellent - Change Coefficient .00274 - 26% more stable than Northern Red Oak.

RELATIVE ABUNDANCE: 

Reasonably available with regional limitations - 1.9 percent of total U.S. hardwoods commercially available.

INTERESTING FACTS: 

The roots of the walnut tree release a toxic material which may kill other plants growing above them. Walnut is one of the few American species planted as well as naturally regenerated.

From the time of ancient Greeks until well into modern European history, walnuts symbolized fertility and were strewn at weddings. Just the opposite, in Romania, brides who wished to delay childbearing placed into the bodice of their wedding dresses one walnut for each year they hoped to wait.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: 

There is a distinct difference in color between the nearly white sapwood of walnut and the heartwood, which ranges in color from a deep, rich dark, almost chocolate brown to a purplish black. The wood often has a purplish cast with dark streaks. However, there is a wide variation of color, figure, and grade within the species. The grain of walnut is mostly straight and open, though some boards may have a grain pattern that is burled or curly. In fact, the wood is especially valued for its wavy, curly, and mottled figures. The wood surface is generally fairly dull, though it may develop a lustrous patina after many years in use.

COLOR CHANGE: 

American Black Walnut exhibits a medium high degree of color change with the dark brown heartwood lightening over time to a more golden brown with the muting of the color variation found when freshly milled.

MAIN USES: 

Frequently used as a highlight material for borders and other inlay techniques, this familiar domestic wood has many commercial applications. It is typically found in wood flooring, veneer, paneling, fixtures, furniture, cabinets, and novelty items. In addition, it is superior to all other woods for gunstocks because of the way it keeps its shape.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES:

This is one of the most prized of North American hardwoods. Although American black walnut is somewhat softer than northern red oak, the wood is heavy, hard, and stiff and has excellent dimensional stability. It is moderately dense, but very strong, with good shock resistance. Walnut is one of the most durable of the domestic commercial woods, even under conditions favorable to decay.

WORKING PROPERTIES:

The machining qualities of walnut are excellent, but it is also easily worked with hand tools. This wood has a distinctive sweet aroma when worked. It is fairly resistant to splitting and has good holding ability. It sands and finishes beautifully and holds both paint and stain exceptionally well.