Caribbean Walnut

Caribbean walnut — also sold as tzalam, sabicu, or false tamarind — shares essentially nothing with true walnuts in the Juglans genus beyond the name on the price tag. It actually comes from Lysiloma, a legume-family genus native to Central America and the Caribbean.

Working Properties

Caribbean walnut behaves fine under typical hand and machine tools, without the drama some tropical hardwoods bring to the bench. The trade treats it as exactly what it's for: a lower-cost stand-in for American black walnut, wherever a similar tone is wanted without the price.

Typical Uses

Flooring, furniture, veneer, tabletops, trim, and woodturning.

Specific gravity is an estimate for this species — a precisely sourced figure was not available for this article.