Butternut

Butternut

Scott's Nursery Ltd.

$34.99
Title

Add a touch of heritage to your landscape with the Butternut, a tree prized for its rugged character and "buttery" rewards. This stately native features a broad, open canopy of bold, tropical-looking compound leaves that create a dappled, soft shade. Known for its strikingly pale, silvery-gray bark with deep, diamond-shaped furrows, the Butternut stands out as a winter masterpiece. It is the perfect choice for those looking to plant a piece of history while enjoying a harvest of the richest, most flavorful nuts in the walnut family.
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Plant Details

Mature Size:

60' H x 50' W

Zone:

3-7

Watering:

Medium to High

Foliage Type:

Deciduous

Growth Rate:

Moderate - Fast

Light:

Full Sun

Plant Profile

Common Names:

Butternut, White Walnut, Oilnut

Scientific Name:

Juglans cinerea

Type:

Native Fruit/Nut Tree

Growth Details:

  • Mature Size: Typically 40–60 feet tall with a 30–50 foot spread.
  • Growth Habit/Form: Spreading, open, rounded crown.
  • Growth Rate: Fast when young, slowing with age.
  • Longevity: Shorter-lived than Black Walnut, typically living 75 years.

Environmental Needs:

  • Exposure: Full Sun.
  • Soil Preferences: Prefers deep, rich, moist, and well-drained loams.
  • Soil Tolerance: Adapates to rocky or acidic soils but struggles in heavy, poorly drained clay.
  • Watering: High initially; moderate once established.

Special Features:

Native Species; Edible Nuts; Cold Hardy; High Timber Value.
Care Guide

Ornamental & Landscape Value

Seasonal Interest:

  • Bloom: Inconspicuous yellow-green catkins in late spring.
  • Fall Colour: Foliage turns a bright, buttery yellow before dropping early in the season.
  • Bark: Distinctive light gray, smooth when young, becoming deeply ridged and "corky" with age.
  • Fruit: Produces oblong, sticky-husked nuts containing sweet, oily, edible kernels.

Garden Value:

A magnificent shade tree for large properties, acreages, and naturalized "edible landscapes." It provides a classic woodland aesthetic and a reliable source of high-fat winter food for local wildlife.

Wildlife & Human Value:

  • Wildlife Value: Critical food source for squirrels, deer, and birds; provides significant habitat.
  • Human Value: Highly valued for its delicious, sweet nuts (often used in baking) and its soft, easy-to-carve wood used in fine cabinetry.

Planting & Care Guide

Planting Considerations:

  • Best Time: Early spring.
  • Spacing: Plant at least 40 feet away from other sensitive plants.
  • Location Tips: Like its cousin, the Black Walnut, Butternut produces juglone, a natural chemical that can inhibit the growth of nearby plants (like tomatoes or azaleas). Choose its neighbours carefully.

Care:

  • Light: Requires full sun (6+ hours) for healthy growth and nut production.
  • Moisture: Needs regular, deep watering during the establishment phase; prefers consistently moist soil.
  • Maintenance: Low maintenance; prune only in late winter while dormant to remove dead wood. Avoid heavy pruning as walnuts "bleed" sap in spring.
  • Fertilization: Generally not required in fertile soil, but a balanced organic fertilizer in early spring can help young trees.

Tolerances:

Cold temperatures and various soil pH levels.

Tips For Success:

Plant in a permanent location, as the deep taproot makes transplanting difficult once established. Keep the area under the canopy mulched to reduce competition from grass.
Fruit Profile