Black Walnut?

[ecfinn]

Is this black walnut? Very interesting wood. Dark center heartwood, and almost white outer wood. Bark is almost yellow in the center.

 

[ecfinn]

One more pic of some smaller rounds I split.

 

[kjklosek]

Looks like walnut. When you split it, the heart wood should be purple. If you saw it there is a sweet spicy smell. On my all time favorite list of woods to work with.

Bark looks like walnut as well.

J.P.

 

[begreen]

The bark looks like walnut, though the black walnut I've seen split up is dark chocolate brown. Maybe another nut, like English walnut? Do you have a sample of its leaves?

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Eric, it also could be English Walnut which is in our area and is a little different than Black Walnut. B.W. has a very dark brown center heartwood, very dark. I'm guessing English...

 

[struggle]

The black walnut that I have split in the past looks much darker all the way through it than the picture you show. Bark like others said looks like walnut though.

 

[bodeen]

Eric,

I would say the second pic of the smaller splits is walnut for sure. The first pic with the halves, theat doesnt look like walnut if it is the same as the whole round sitting underneath it in the first pic then I would say that it isn't walnut.

My .02

 

[restorer]

I've held back my opinion, but looked at the pictures. I think the color is due to staining and deterioration of the wood. Were the rounds cut and let on the ground for a long time? Was the tree healthy when cut down? I think I see some decay in the heart of the first picture, is the center real punky? Walnut is either dark brown to purple, depending on who recently cut, in the heart wood. The lighter cream color is the cambrian layer (living) surrounding the heart wood. This should be 1-4 inches on a large mature tree. The size of the rounds suggest a small, immature walnut and just don't seem consistent with normal growth. The dark areas of wood on the edges and away form the heart are not present in walnut as far as I have seen.

 

[ChipTam]

I can't really tell from the photographs. As another reply said, if the heartwood is chocolate brown and the sapwood is white it's black walnut. I don't know what else it could be. I'm in the process of finishing two wall-hung cabinets in black walnut so I've been looking at walnut now for the last few weeks. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think English walnut is native to North America. You'll find a few planted in suburban lawns for the nuts but they're not all that common here in the mid-west. Also, I've rarely seen a large English walnut tree which would be suitable for lumber or firewood. Whereas, black walnut is native, they do get very large, and are quite common.
Chip Tam

 

[PA. Woodsman]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think English walnut is native to North America. You'll find a few planted in suburban lawns for the nuts but they're not all that common here in the mid-west. Also, I've rarely seen a large English walnut tree which would be suitable for lumber or firewood. Whereas, black walnut is native, they do get very large, and are quite common.
Chip Tam

They're not very common, but as I posted there are some here in our area, SE PA. I got some from a friend of mine a season ago. I'd say that it's either English or Black; either way, as someone else stated, it does look a little "punky".

 

[philaphire]

I'm about as new to this wood thing as Eric but having seen walnut and punky, I say it's punky and not walnut. Here are links to what a walnut split looks like in case anyone is wondering and there is a distinct smell to it. These were just taken outside in the dark but I think you can get the jist of what walnut looks like.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/philaphire/DSCI0011.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/philaphire/DSCI0010.jpg

 

[Hogwildz]

I have some maple that is stained in the center and looks exactly like that wood. I ain't no tree pro, just my guess.

 

[ecfinn]

Well this stuff definitely ain't punky. Just cut down in September from a healthy tree that went down in a storm. Just getting to split it now. Verrrry Hard stuff. Heavy too. Not a soft punky spot on any of it from what I just split. Let me see if I can find the original thread when I cut up the tree...

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/3083/

Seems the owner of the tree said it was a walnut too. Forgot about that.

I'm inclined to believe its Walnut at this point.

Thanks again folks.

Eric

 

[restorer]

I'm about as new to this wood thing as Eric but having seen walnut and punky, I say it's punky and not walnut. Here are links to what a walnut split looks like in case anyone is wondering and there is a distinct smell to it. These were just taken outside in the dark but I think you can get the jist of what walnut looks like.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/philaphire/DSCI0011.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/philaphire/DSCI0010.jpg

I'm with you. Definitely walnut in your pics. The original post pictures look more like decay and staining than natural growth. Aren't there elm's that after many years have that dark core? Not sure, but there are hardwoods that have light exteriors, and very dark core wood. Suffering a brain f@$^$#. Can't come up with a species.