• Common name: Black Walnut
  
• Scientific name: Juglans nigra
  
• Where does it grow: Eastern United States
  
• How tall does the tree grow: 100 to 120 feet
  
• Tree trunk diameter:   2 to 3 feet
  
• Color of lumber: Heartwood ranges from medium to dark chocolate brown, with darker brown streaks.  Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white.
  
• Grain:   Usually straight, but can be irregular and knotty
  
• Janka Hardness: 1010 (not all that hard but definitely not soft)
  
• Cost per board foot: $11.25 (May 20, 2025)
  

 
Notes:  Black walnut is very popular among woodworkers due to its beautiful color and high luster when finished.  Unusual grain patterns in burls and crotch pieces are particularly prized and become focal points in artwork.  While any wood has the potential to irritate a woodworker’s skin, eyes and throat, some people can be definitely be sensitive to working with black walnut (SO ALWAYS WEAR A MASK WHEN IN YOUR SHOP AND HAVE A GOOD PLAN FOR DUST COLLECTION AND AIR FILTRATION).  In nature, black walnut is toxic to other plants (a mature tree produces a substance called juglone in its roots that kills neighboring trees).  

Black Walnut Tree

Black Walnut Lumber