At a time when demand for hardwood appears to have weakened – American hardwood shipments for 2001 were down on 2000 and European beech stocks have risen – there is a strong revival in walnut.
Supplies of European walnut (Juglans regia) are limited and nowadays cannot meet the demands of Italian and French manufacturers. Consequently European imports of American black walnut (Juglans nigra) were up 52% in the first half of 2001 on the same period in 2000. The UK market is also well in line with the trend, registering a 51% increase last year.
A number of reasons appear to be responsible for the revival. Walnut, as dark rich-coloured temperate hardwood species, is finding favour again with designers in joinery projects. This was clear from some of the entries in the Timber Industry Awards in London (TTJ November 3, 2001) – particularly notable is the new walnut joinery at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford – and was also evident in one of the winning entries of the 2000 Irish Joinery Awards in Dublin.
The furniture industry is also turning to walnut again for its richness of colour, often used in contrast to other species and perhaps even as an antidote to the light-coloured fashion of recent years.
The flooring market is also enjoying a return in popularity of walnut, again frequently as a contrasting hardwood. This is clearly partly a fashion phenomenon, with the Harley Davidson showroom in London’s King’s Road being among recent trendy installations. But walnut is also an ideal flooring material technically. It has a hardness value of about 4,500 Newtons, compared, depending on provenance, to cherry’s 4,200 Newtons.
Distributors also report an increase in demand for walnut panels, such as backing panels for cabinets, to match the solid wood. The long clear stems of American black walnut tree provide some of the finest material for hardwood veneer in the US.
Although colour can vary regionally, Juglans nigra is generally darker in the heartwood than its European cousin, It is native to the mid and eastern US – as far west as Kansas – but not the Mississippi valley and delta or the extreme south, and is rare in New England. Black walnut is normally found scattered throughout the forest and pure stands are rare unless planted. Being shade intolerant, it lends itself well to plantations, which may be economically viable – given the price it commands domestically and around the world. In recent years, grafting and budding techniques of vegetative reproduction have also been quite successful in improving growing stands.
Much of the veneer quality log production has traditionally come from Indiana, Ohio and Illinois, where the tree has been known to achieve heights of up to 150ft. Most mature trees on good sites reach 100-120ft and saw quality logs can be grown in 30 years, especially where they are almost abundant, as in Kansas.
More information on availability can be obtained from the American Hardwood Export Council (fax: 020 7626 4222) and technical data is contained in the free Guide to American Hardwoods, which can be ordered on-line at www.ahec-europe.org.
Enquiries can also be made to the Walnut Manufacturers Association of America on fax: + 1 (317) 873 8780; PO Box 5046, Zionsville, IN 46077, US.
