Black Walnut - 100 Most Common North American Trees

Common Names: American walnut, eastern black walnut
Habitat: Black walnut typically grows as scattered individual trees or in small groups throughout the central and eastern parts of the United States. Although it is found on a variety of sites, black walnut grows best on good sites in coves and well-drained bottoms in the Appalachians and the Midwest.
Description: Under forest competition black walnut develops a tall, clear trunk. The bark is grey-black and deeply furrowed. The "chambered" pith of the twigs contains air spaces and is a key identification feature. The leaves are alternate, odd-pinnate with 15–23 leaflets with the largest leaflets located in the center. The male flowers are in drooping catkins and the fruit ripens in fall into a brown corrugated nut with a browish-green, semi-fleshy husk. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in October; the seed is relatively small and very hard.
Uses: The fine straight-grained wood makes prize pieces of solid furniture and gunstocks. High quality black walnut is also used as veneer attached to woods of lesser value. The distinctive tasting nuts are in demand for baked goods and ice cream.

Black Walnut Photos - ForestryImages.Org
Identify Black Walnut - Virginia Tech Dendrology