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Notes (historical):
The Juglans nigra (black walnut) is usually 100-150 feet tall. The wood of this tree is usually hard, strong, and heavy, and a rich dark brown color with a satiny texture. It is native to the Midwest and east central United states. Black walnut had commercial value even for early colonists in North America, where it was cultivated. In 1610 in Virginia, William Strachey stated that it was being shipped back to England as a valued commodity, but the colonists also seemed to value it as well. Black walnut was used in interior decorating and cabinet-making because of its fine color and texture. It was also used for gunstocks and coffins, as well as in boat and ship building. The walnuts were also edible and used in cooking or eaten raw, both by colonists and also by Native Americans who lived in the Mississippi Basin. The trees were first introduced into Europe in the mid-17th century by John Tradescant (1608-1662) and first described by John Parkinson (1567-1650) in Theatrum Botanicum.