Black Walnut has long been considered one of the US’s most durable hardwoods, and one of its most popular. Prized for its typically deep chocolate color (often highlighted by red or purple streaks and/or tint), straight grains (though sometimes irregular), fine texture and warm luster, the wood has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio and is considered to have solid dimensional stability after drying. Its cooperative grain structure and moderate density give Black Walnut excellent working properties, which have made it coveted by fine furniture craftsmen for centuries.

While there remains a robust domestic supply, the demand for this wood also remains constant. It is considered a premium domestic hardwood.

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Sustainability: Not listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Common Uses: Furniture, cabinetry, gunstocks, interior paneling, interior trim, musical instruments, veneer, turnings, and small specialty items.

Comments: Black Walnut’s immense popularity among American woodworkers cannot be overstated. Aside from its rugged, handsome looks — which lend it well to furniture and cabinet building — it is durable, stable and has excellent shock resistance, making it an ideal choice for such applications.

Walnut trees are known to grow in regions within close proximity to rivers and other bodies of water — primarily in the eastern part of the US, but stretching into the central part of the country, as well as into southern Canada (Ontario). Trees have proven of historical economic significance, as much for the walnuts they produce as for their coveted lumber — a wood which, unfortunately, has provided an attractive target to domestic poachers.