Is There Walnut in Arkansas?

The answer depends on who you ask. January 11, 2007

Question
Are there a lot of walnut logs available in Arkansas? What prices are they per MBF for saw logs?

Forum Responses
(Sawing and Drying Forum)
From contributor D:
Black walnut does not grow naturally in the lowland swamps. It requires moist, well drained soil. There is walnut in Arkansas, but not much near the Mississippi River. Arkansas is not a prime growing region. You will likely find some in the fertile coves in the northern half of the state, but most of the trees there will be widely scattered. Also, you see it on old abandoned home sites where it was planted. These trees almost always have metal in them, so beware. As far as I know, there is no established market for walnut in Arkansas, so I would suggest that if you find any, you offer the same price as what the best hardwood logs are selling for in the region. That is fair, especially since the wood quality in Arkansas will likely be below average versus what is seen in the Ohio valley and the Cumberland Plateau.

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From contributor A:
It is nice to know that there is nothing but low grade logs in Arkansas and that walnut does not grow here. Now, like the Ivory Bill Woodpecker, we are going to have to re-discover what all of these large trees with large green nuts are growing all over the state. Since I deer hunt in most of the state and have seen walnuts from the levee of the Mississippi river to deer camps in the Delta plain in south Arkansas to the Ozark Mountains that I live in, it is going to be tough to find an area that does not have walnuts in it. It is a shame that I have to trim 1x4's like this one off of the side of boards so that they will fit through my 15 inch planer.

No, you can not buy walnuts in Arkansas, as I am trying to buy them all to save the rest of the world from low grade trash. Some of the best I have seen comes from just north of here in MO, and MO walnut is buying lots of it.