Herbs, Plants, Trees and Roots | January, 2012

You entered Eastern Black Walnut, the more common name is...

Infusion used as a wash for sores. Infusion of inner bark taken for smallpox and infusion of leaves used for goiter. Bark chewed for toothache. Pulverized leaves rubbed on affected part for ringworm. Juice from green hulls of fruits rubbed over areas infected by ringworm. Sap used in applications for inflammations. Three bundles of bark boiled to make a strong tea and used for two days to remove intestinal bile. Strong decoction of bark taken as a cathartic. Leaves scattered about house to dispel fleas. Decoction of mashed leaves taken for relief from blood pressure. Poultice of bark applied for headache. Compound decoction with brandy taken as a blood purifier. Nuts mixed with hominy corn, water and pinto beans makes a tasty and healthy dish.<br /> <br /> Uses for the dye are as follows: The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the black walnut is difficult. The thick hard shell is tightly bound by tall ridges to a thick husk. The husk is best removed when green as the nuts taste better if it is removed then. Rolling the nut underfoot on a hard surface such as a driveway is a common method; commercial huskers use a car tire rotating against a metal mesh. Some take a thick plywood board and drill a nut sized hole in it (from one to two inches in diameter) and smash the nut through using a hammer. The nut goes through and the husk remains behind.<br /> <br /> Some information about the Wood: Black walnut is highly prized for its dark-colored, true heartwood. It is heavy and strong, yet easily split and worked. Walnut wood has historically been used for gun-stocks, furniture, flooring, paddles, coffins, and a variety of other wood products. Due to its value, forestry officials often are called on to track down walnut poachers; in 2004, DNA testing was used to solve one such poaching case, involving a 55 foot (16m) tree worth US$2,500. Black walnut has a density of 660 kg per cubic meter (41.2 lb/cubic foot),[9] which makes it less dense than oak.<br />

Black Walnut

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
(Juglans nigra)


It is native to eastern North America. The black walnut is a large deciduous tree that can grow as tall as 130 feet. The bark is grey-black and deeply furrowed and its leaves are alternate. The male flowers are in drooping catkins 8–10 cm long, the female flowers are terminal, in clusters of two to five, ripening during the autumn into a fruit (nut) with a brownish-green, semi-fleshy husk and a brown, corrugated nut. The whole fruit, including the husk, falls in October; the seed is relatively small and very hard. The tree tends to crop more heavily in alternate years. Tapped in spring, the tree yields a sweet sap that can be drunk or concentrated into syrup or sugar.



Common Names:

Eastern Black Walnut


Black Walnut

Uses:

Infusion used as a wash for sores. Infusion of inner bark taken for smallpox and infusion of leaves used for goiter. Bark chewed for toothache. Pulverized leaves rubbed on affected part for ringworm. Juice from green hulls of fruits rubbed over areas infected by ringworm. Sap used in applications for inflammations. Three bundles of bark boiled to make a strong tea and used for two days to remove intestinal bile. Strong decoction of bark taken as a cathartic. Leaves scattered about house to dispel fleas. Decoction of mashed leaves taken for relief from blood pressure. Poultice of bark applied for headache. Compound decoction with brandy taken as a blood purifier. Nuts mixed with hominy corn, water and pinto beans makes a tasty and healthy dish.

Uses for the dye are as follows: The extraction of the kernel from the fruit of the black walnut is difficult. The thick hard shell is tightly bound by tall ridges to a thick husk. The husk is best removed when green as the nuts taste better if it is removed then. Rolling the nut underfoot on a hard surface such as a driveway is a common method; commercial huskers use a car tire rotating against a metal mesh. Some take a thick plywood board and drill a nut sized hole in it (from one to two inches in diameter) and smash the nut through using a hammer. The nut goes through and the husk remains behind.

Some information about the Wood: Black walnut is highly prized for its dark-colored, true heartwood. It is heavy and strong, yet easily split and worked. Walnut wood has historically been used for gun-stocks, furniture, flooring, paddles, coffins, and a variety of other wood products. Due to its value, forestry officials often are called on to track down walnut poachers; in 2004, DNA testing was used to solve one such poaching case, involving a 55 foot (16m) tree worth US$2,500. Black walnut has a density of 660 kg per cubic meter (41.2 lb/cubic foot),[9] which makes it less dense than oak.



Applications:

Decoction:
mix 10 to 20 drops in water or juice daily

Tea:
steep 1 oz. of either the bark or leaves in 1 cup water and take 2 or 3 times daily.

Extracts:
Rub on skin 2 times daily


Warnings:

Bark used cautiously in medicine because it is poisonous.  The dye will stain anything it comes in contact with.

With any herb, there is the risk of an allergic reaction. Small children and pregnant women should use additional caution when considering the use of herbal remedies.