Juglans Hindsie (Hinds Black Walnut) grafted with Juglans Regia (English Walnut)

Known by several names; California, Santa Clara and Claro. Generally Clara is more figured than our Eastern Walnut (Juglans Nigra) with deep browns or reds and dark lines contrasting with light areas.

According to Norman Hughes of Good Hope hardwoods in Pennsylvania, it is extremely difficult to dry properly. This difficulty is more than outweighed by the wide beautifully figured boards. In my experience once it is dried it is remarkably stable. It can be re-sawn for thinner boards or to make veneer. It is a pleasure to work with hand tools and finishes well. However, it is softer and more brittle than our eastern walnut. In many cases it would not be suitable for use in a smaller cross section such as in chair parts or narrow legs.

Clara walnut is of the Juglandaceae or Walnut family. Hinds Black Walnut is the native California tree. It is the root stock to which English Walnut is grafted. About half of what we see on the market as Clara walnut is from this grafted stock and the other half is the ungrafted Hinds Walnut.

The wide flitches that are available - sometimes up to 4' wide x 12'long - are that way because of the way they grow in the open and spread out much as our Eastern walnut does.

Clara is a special tree with a special wood that is generally not available in large quantities but more suited for use by the smaller shop designer craftsmen.

Jere Osgood