Hardness Rating: Black Walnut

The rich, warm tones of Black Walnut create a classic, refined look, when paired with pastel or light-colored furnishings. Most Black Walnut hardwood has a straight grain, but this wood is also known for having a wide variety of wavy and curly grains.

In its natural state, Black Walnut features rich brown-to-purplish heartwood and white or tan sapwood, but manufacturers often steam the wood to darken the sapwood, creating a more consistent coloring. Black Walnut holds paint and stain well, and many homeowners prefer a dark stain for this tough hardwood. When not stained, Black Walnut will grow lighter with age, especially in sunny rooms.

Name: Black Walnut trees – Juglans nigra – are members of the Juglandaceae family, which includes the pecan and hickory tree.

Origins: Natural habitat is the central and eastern regions of the United States, although Black Walnut trees can grow any place that receives at least 25 inches of precipitation per year and has 140 frost-free days.

Janka Harness Rating: With a Janka Hardness rating of 1010 out of 4000, the Black Walnut wood species falls within the medium range for hardwood flooring options. The Janka Hardness scale is used to determine a hardwood’s resistance to dents, dings and scratches. The test, which includes the use of a 2” x 2” x 6” piece of a wood specimen and a steel ball, helps experts determine how many pounds per square inch of force will make the steel ball embed halfway into the wood. That result leads to the wood’s Janka Hardness rating. Woods at the low end of the scale will show more evidence of dings compared to those at the top. However, woods at the very top of the Janka Hardness Scale could be too difficult to cut for home applications.

Installation: This medium-density hardwood is easy to machine, nail and finish. Because mature trees reach heights of 120 feet, hardwood planks may be available in long custom lengths that minimize the number of seams in flooring.