Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)

Form

Height often 100 feet, diameter 2 to 4 feet; when grown in the open, stem short, crown broad and spreading.

Bark

Thick and very dark brown; divided by rather deep fissures into round ridges. Blocky appearance.

Leaf

Alternate on stem; compound, 1 to 2 feet long, consisting of 7 to 11 pairs of yellow-green leaflets, smooth above, pale and hairy underneath; leaflets about 3 inches long, extremely tapered at ends and toothed along margin. The chambered pith is cream colored.

Fruit

A large, round nut borne singly or in pairs and enclosed in solid green husk, which is not sticky and does not spread open even after nut is ripe. The nut is black with very hard, thick, finely-ridged shell, enclosing a rich, oily kernel which is edible and highly nutritious; matures in fall of first season.

Range

Grows on rich bottomlands and moist, fertile hillsides in southern part of state; is easily propagated from nuts and grows rapidly on good sites.

Wood

Most valuable forest tree in the state. Rich chocolate-brown heartwood is of superior quality and value; heavy, hard, strong, and comparatively free from warping and checking; takes a high polish and is very durable; highly prized for a great variety of uses such as furniture and gun-stocks; small trees consist mostly of sapwood, which is light-colored and not durable.