American Black Walnut

American Black Walnut’s color range stretches all the way from a rich dark brown to purplish black to nearly white or tan. Originating from North America, this wood has a texture that can be described as burled or curly grain. American Black Walnut is a soft wood and would be best utilized in areas with low foot traffic.

Appearance

Color: Hardwood ranges from a deep, rich dark brown to a purplish black. Sapwood is nearly white to tan. Difference between hardwood and sapwood color is great; some flooring manufacturers steam lumber to bleed the darker heartwood color into the sapwood, resulting in a more uniform color.

Grain: Mostly straight and open, but some boards have burled or curly grain. Arrangement of pores is similar to hickories and persimmon, but pores are smaller in size.

Variations within species and grades: Great variety of color and figure within species, as well as variation in color among boards, especially in lower grades and from material that isn’t steamed prior to kiln-drying.

Properties

Hardness Janka: 1010 (22% softer than Northern red oak).

Dimensional Stability: Average (7.8; 9% more stable than Northern red oak.)

Origin

North America