Everything There Is To Know About Black Walnut

Introduction

In This Guide:

What do you think of when you hear the words: 'Black walnut..'?

For most people, black walnut wood is associated with a certain level of esteem and even luxury.

All across the world, black walnut is considered to be a premium-quality material; a favourite hardwood of carpenters, craftspeople and home owners alike.

But, is any of this even based on real-world factors?

Or are we all just being blinded by the rich dark chocolate tones of the wood... ...or the fact that the walnuts themselves are so delicious... or because walnut wood is usually a little more expensive than other wood?

Read on to find out this, and everything else there is to know about black walnut!

A Prized Past
Walnut Wood Uses, Comparison & Benefits
Wood Characteristics
Species Specs & Comparison To Other Hardwoods
Black Walnut Wood In The Home
Pet Safety & Nut Allergies
Growing Black Walnut For Fun Or Profit
Summary & Black Walnut Products

In This Guide:

A Prized Past
Walnut Wood Uses, Comparison & Benefits
Wood Characteristics
Species Specs & Comparison To Other Hardwoods
Black Walnut Wood In The Home
Pet Safety & Nut Allergies
Growing Black Walnut For Fun Or Profit
Summary & Black Walnut Products

In this Section:

A Prized Past

WALNUT WOOD - USES, COMPARISON & BENEFITS

BLACK WALNUT WOOD CHARACTERISTICS

Black Walnut In History

A Prized Past

As this tree species is native to North America, the history of black walnut [Juglans nigra] begins with the native Americans using almost every part of the tree for a variety of purposes.

It was (and still is) used for making hair and pigments for clothing, cooking or eating the walnuts raw, to using the bark and husks for medical treatments, and of course; the wood for tools, utensils, furniture, and much more.

Black walnut is perhaps now most commonly now known for its wood being used to make cutting boards, plates, spoons and premium furniture or fittings.

You might also have seen the hulls widely available in stores such as Holland & Barret, as it's still praised for natural health and medicinal benefits.

Why is it so popular?

walnut wood - Uses, Comparisons & Benefits

European walnut, and the more popular American black walnut are both part of the same family of strong, soulful trees. They both produce high quality and highly sought-after wood and nuts that are enjoyed and celebrated all over the world.

All types of walnut produce stable and reliable wood. That is to say, it will stand the test of time thanks to the fine grain density, high shock-absorption rate, and overall stability of the entire Juglans tree family.

In fact, these are some of the key characteristics of walnut wood, coupled with its beauty, that make it so desirable.

Select the three sections below to expand the details for each:

Black Walnut

Wood Characteristics:

Dense & fine-grained hardwood
Rich colouration ranging from dark brown to honey-white
Absorbs shocks and impact well
Lightweight considering the strength

Does not tend to warp, shrink or crack over time
Has resistance to scratches and scuffs
Smooth & finishes well (due to fine grain)
Naturally resists decay and fights infection (juglone)

Can exhibit burls & interesting knots
Relatively easy and versatile to work with
Responds well to steam-bending

Quality-Grading Walnut Wood

When it comes to grading the quality of black walnut, a lot is taken into consideration to determine what it will eventually be used for (veneer, furniture, flooring, etc).

Grading usually focusses on the following factors:

• Length and diameter

• The amount of knots (less is better)

• Grain density & patterns

• Wood colouration

In this Section:

SPECIES SPECS & COMPARISON TO OTHER HARDWOODS

Black WAlnut wood In The Home

Pet safety and Nut Allergies

Black Walnut Wood

Specs & Comparison To Other Hardwoods

As mature trees, black walnuts can reach up to 30 meters (100 feet) tall. It will typically take them around 30 years to reach maturity, by then the trunks will be around 75cm to 1 meter (30 to 40 inches) wide.

On occasions, walnut trees have been known to reach up 1.5 meters (60 inches) in diameter depending on conditions and climate.

Given the right growing conditions, black walnut can grow as much as 7-10cm (3 - 4 inches) each year.

This steady growth makes for very consistent grain that is durable, very easy to work with, and does not tend to warp or crack over time.

Walnut Wood Vs Other Hardwoods

To give you an idea of where black walnut ranks against other popular hardwoods, red oak has a score of 1290 on the Janka Test and cherry comes in at 950.

Black Walnut's score of 1010 places it firmly at the 'premium' end of the scale of hardwoods and coupled with the attractive appearance, makes it a highly desirable wood for furniture, flooring and kitchenware in the home.

Acacia wood comes in at a whopping 1750 on the Janka Test, which is why acacia is very often used outdoors and also for kitchenware, where it can withstand exposure to the harsh elements for many years.

If you want to see the Janka results for (almost) all species of hardwood, you can see a list of them here.

Compared To Other Hardwoods

Value & Pricing:

Why Does Walnut Cost More?

Although black walnut grows in abundance in North America and can be grown across much of the world, it's still not as common other hardwoods such as maple or cherry.

Walnut trees in general do not grow quite as tall as other species, yielding a little less wood per tree than other quality hardwood species.

As a result, walnut is not commonly available in longer boards, and often have more knots to work around when crafting it into a piece of furniture or kitchenware.

The hardness and shock-resistance, coupled with the light weight in comparison to its strength, also add to walnut woods value, and price tag.

Black Walnut In The Home

Why choose black walnut for your furniture, flooring or kitchenware?

When black walnut wood is used for a piece of furniture, kitchenware, or as flooring in your home, it has a strong presence and sets the tone - no matter how prominent or small of a detail it might be.

The strength, beauty and versatility of this wood makes it an excellent choice for statement pieces that will stand the test of time, being passed down from generation to generation.

In terms of care and maintenance, walnut wood is easy to look after and will not succumb to scratches, dents and other damage as easily as many other types of wood.

Black WAlnut Trees

Growing Black Walnut

In the next section, we'll discuss the safety precautions of black walnut for pets and those with nut allergies.

First, let's take a quick look at growing - or cultivating black walnut at home for fun, or farming it for profit.

Growing these trees for fun, shade, wood and walnuts can be a very pleasant and easy process, but there are a few things to know before you go and plant one, or several of them..!

Something To Be Aware Of:

When it comes to planting a walnut tree in your garden, it's important to be aware that the roots of the black walnut produce a natural herbacide called 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthalenedione - or the more commonly-known name of Juglone.

It is sometimes used in herbicides, and due to the natural red-orange pigmentation, juglone is used as a pigment in inks or dye for clothing, hair, cosmetics, and even food.

Julone exists in all species of the walnut family but is present in the highest dosage in black walnut. It gets deposited into the soil around the tree via the roots, but is actually in the highest amounts in the newer, fastest-growing leaves.

As mentioned, this chemical is a natural herbicide which quashes or even kills many species of plants and trees that try to grow within a few-meters-radius of the tree.

Something Else To Consider:

Seeing as some black walnut roots can spread 50 feet or more from the base of the trunk, you may want to consider where you choose to plant a black walnut tree (if at all) in your garden.

Juglone is also known to be unsafe for horses and dogs to ingest, we'll cover more on assessing the risk of black walnut concerning the safety of some species of animals such as dogs and horses a little further down in this guide.

Despite the fact that juglone will cause issues for the nearby growth of some species of plants, black walnut trees in the garden make great shade-providers, growing outwards almost as much as they do upwards.

One benefit of juglone is that it makes the black walnut an essentially disease-free tree that very few pests will go near.

The foliage of the black walnut are a little similar in appearance to ferns, and will turn vibrant golden-yellow during the autumn. This makes for a striking contrast up against the dark and rugged bark of the tree.

For optimal growth conditions, the best soil to grow black walnut in is deep and fertile with a near-neutral to ever so slightly acidic ph.

Why Farm Black Walnut?

Black walnut has demanded premium prices since the early 1700s, that's decades before the Boston Tea Party, or 150 years before the California Gold Rush began.

Today an acre of mature black walnut trees is has an approximate value of over $100k in timber alone - it's extremely understandable why black walnut farming is a desirable occupation with such a highly sought after, diverse and sustainable crop.

Black walnut is farmed all across North America, but the majority of it comes is grown in the eastern-half of the U.S. While the crop might take a couple of decades to start producing high volumes of wood and walnuts, a fully matured walnut orchard is quite the asset to own.

This is due to the high value of both the black walnut wood, and the walnuts.

Very often, walnut farmers will also take advantage of the wide spaces between each tree and grow additional crops (that are immune to juglone) while the trees are still smaller.

Walnut tree farmers usually grow walnut for both the nut and the wood, as both are highly prized (and priced) renewable resources.

How It's Grown:

1. Farmers will often prune the lower branches of the trees, which encourages faster growth and helps to cultivate straighter, more uniform trunks (making for a more desirable piece of wood to work with).

2. The branches that are pruned are not wasted but also are used for their wood and often contain a good portion of the tree’s walnuts.

3. As they are trimmed, it encourages the tree to put more energy into the main trunk while also encouraging it to continue growing new branches with, you guessed it - more walnuts!

4. This process means that during the 30 or so year cycle of the trees’ growth for timber, it can be simultaneously producing a steady crop of walnuts as well as smaller pieces of timber.

'Greener' Farming:

Thankfully, this means that walnut farming is a relatively diverse form of farming where an effort is made to waste less.

The farmers have a direct incentive to follow these practices due to the high market value of what they produce and being able to maximise the full potential of their crop.

When it’s harvested, seasoned and dried there is very little shrinkage from the water evaporating, compared with many other woods of its caliber.

Black Walnut Safety

IS IT FOOD-SAFE, PETS-Safe, & what About NUT ALLERGIES?

In a nutshell (intended), the wood is safe for everyone - just, not for ingesting.

When growing, the tree is also safe for humans (excluding those who have nut allergies), but is unsafe for horses and dogs.

Think of black walnut as being like inedible chocolate; it's luscious and rich, you should never give it to animals, but it is a beautiful part of life that you definitely deserve to indulge in!

Usually, any kitchenware made from walnut wood is finished and sealed with an natural mineral oil like linseed oil, coconut oil, acacia oil, or beeswax

What's more is that the oil from walnuts is sometimes used as a finish for sealing wood.

In Summary...

All in all, if you're looking for wood that's both reliable and beautiful, black walnut is one of the very top contenders. It has a history as rich as its colour and its superb qualities will never go out of fashion.

What's more, is that you don't often find all of the characteristics that black walnut has in a tree that's not grown in an exotic rainforest.

That is to say, most wood of this caliber is all too often an exotic hardwood from very questionable sources. On the flip side, the vast majority of black walnut is grown in the US, where it is also native to. From that point alone, it's already a better choice of wood for many people.

Something Missing?

If there's anything we missed, or something more specific that you would like to know more about, leave a comment below and tell us! We'd love to hear from you.