Juglans cinerea
treeButternut (Juglans cinerea), also called white walnut, is a native nut tree of the cool North, a spreading tree of 40 to 60 ft with sweet, oily, deeply ridged nuts inside a sticky green husk. It is hardier than most walnuts and short-lived for the genus, seldom passing 75 years. Sadly it has become rare in the wild from butternut canker, a usually fatal fungal disease, so home growers should seek canker-resistant or hybrid stock and plant deliberately. Like its walnut relatives it produces juglone that suppresses many nearby plants.
Sun
full sun
Water
Every 14 days
Harvest
~5 yrs
to first harvest
Difficulty
medium
Lifecycle
perennial
Comes back every year
Spacing
30-50 ft apart
Planting Depth
Deep hole for the taproot; root flare at soil line
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Soil Type
Rich, moist, well-drained
Hardiness Zones
Zones 3 – 7
When to Fertilize
Spring only, as growth begins
Fertilizer
Balanced or compost; nitrogen per soil test
Grow butternut in full sun in rich, moist, well-drained soil - it favors the deep loams of hillsides and streambanks but not standing water. Plant a dormant bare-root tree in spring, give it room to spread, and keep it vigorous, since healthy trees resist canker better. Source canker-resistant or butternut-heartnut hybrid (buartnut) stock where available. It is only partly self-fruitful, so a second seedling or walnut relative nearby improves nut set. Prune lightly in late summer or fall, never in spring when the sap runs, and remove any sunken, oozing cankers promptly.
Direct sow
Apr 29
Projected first harvest
Oct 26 · Year 6
Year 1
Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests
Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide
The disease that threatens the species; plant resistant or hybrid stock, keep trees vigorous, and prune out and destroy sunken, dark, oozing cankers
Maggots stain the husks; rake up and destroy fallen nuts and hulls to break the cycle
Attack weakened trees and can vector disease; remove dead and stressed wood and keep trees healthy
Butternuts ripen in fall and drop in their sticky, hairy green husks; gather them promptly off the ground. Wear gloves, as the husks stain deeply. Remove the husks, wash the nuts, and cure them in an airy, shaded spot for a couple of weeks. The shells are hard and the kernels deeply lobed, so cracking takes effort, but the rich, sweet, oily flavor rewards it. Cured in-shell nuts keep for months in a cool place.
Butternuts are among the sweetest, oiliest of the native nuts, traditionally eaten out of hand, in baking, and in maple-butternut candy, and high in healthy fats. The green husks were once used as a dye. Remember the juglone: keep tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, blueberries, azaleas, and rhododendrons out of the root zone, and the tree will be a fine, cold-hardy native shade and nut tree.
For educational and informational purposes only — HomeSown is not medical, health, or other professional advice. Always positively identify any plant before handling or eating it; some plants, and some parts of otherwise-edible plants, are toxic. Consult a qualified professional before consuming or otherwise using any plant, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a health condition.
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Year 6