Endangered, Protected. White Walnut gets slabbed!

[shelby78]

The city had me remove a Butternut/White walnut last week so today I decided to slab it. This all started about 2 months ago when they wanted me to price it. I told them it was protected so they should contact the MNR to get permission. The tree was mostly dead but being in a high traffic area we wanted to go thru all the right channels.

Last week the city calls back saying we have permission to cut it and the tree is a hybrid Butternut. I kept thinking about milling it but photos online don't show butternut as being a looker. The next curve was the city said the homeowner wanted to keep the wood. Less work for me but no log either.

Once I had the tree partially taken apart I asked the homeowner if he was just wanting to use it for firewood and he said yes. I figured if it was nice I could just swap him real wood for it but I was still on the fence about that idea. I told him a had a sawmill and it could be worth cutting.

Once I dropped the butt log I knew it would be worth cutting. At this point the homeowner comes back out and they realize how big the tree is. He has a Stihl 190 lol and this is a 34 inch tree. He tells me I can have the log if I want  lol.

Slabbing the White Walnut today I'm glad I decided to grab the log even though it was more time. Here's a few pics and thinking the hybrid part is mostly black walnut...

[Don P]

Looks highly valuable.

The hybrid is usually a "Buart", Butternut x Heartnut cross.

If you know anyone into natural dyestuffs the bark is sometimes desired, although probably more south of the Mason-Dixon.

[Bruno of NH]

Beautiful alot darker than the butternut in have sawn

[WDH]

With that yellow inner bark, sure looks like black walnut. 

[John S]

Beautiful wood and great milling job.

[shelby78]

With that yellow inner bark, sure looks like black walnut.

If I only saw the slabs I would say black walnut also. The tree and leaves didn't have the signature black walnut look though. The "Expert" The city paid says hybrid Butternut. Maybe this was a Black walnut that identified as a Butternut lol
The other weird thing was when milling even though it has colour the sawdust was white/light. When I mill black walnut its dark. Just a weird tree...