Practical
Plants

Juglans cinerea

Butternut

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Juglans genus in the family Juglandaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Genus
Juglans
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
moderate
Height
25 m
Spread
20 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Wind
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - eaten raw or ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making cakes, biscuits, muffins, bread etc[10]. Oily and sweet tasting with a rich agreeable flavour[11, 62, 63. 101, 183]. The oil in the seed is not very stable and the seed soon becomes rancid once it is opened[30]. The kernel is usually only about 20% by weight of the whole seed[6] and is hard to extract[16]. The unripe fruit can be pickled[10]. The seed is 3 - 6cm in diameter and is produced in clusters of 3 - 5 fruits[30][17]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[2][4][10], it tends to go rancid quickly. The sweet sap is tapped in spring and can be used as a refreshing drink[2]. It can also be boiled down to a syrup or sugar, or added to maple syrup[30][2][4][5][10].

Product or use
Oil
Product or use
Sweetener
Plant part
Sap
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Butternut was used by various native North American Indian tribes as a laxative and tonic remedy to treat a variety of conditions including rheumatic and arthritic joints, headaches, dysentery, constipation and wounds[19]. In modern herbalism it is considered to be a valuable remedy for chronic constipation, gently encouraging regular bowel movements. It is especially beneficial when combined with a carminative herb such as Angelica archangelica[19]. Butternut also lowers cholesterol levels and promotes the clearance of waste products by the liver[19]. An infusion of the inner-bark is used as a cholagogue, febrifuge, mild laxative and stomachic[21][23][26][30][5][7][14][15]. It is effective in small doses without causing cramps[15]. The bark is best collected in the autumn[14]. Best collected in late spring according to another report[21]. An infusion of the dried outer bark is used in the treatment of toothache and dysentery[16]. The oil from the nuts is used in the treatment of tapeworms and fungal infections[21][15].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Cholagogue
Product or use
Febrifuge
Product or use
Laxative
Product or use
Odontalgic
Product or use
Stomachic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A yellow to orange dye is obtained from the seed husks[23][26][30] and from the bark[25]. It is dark brown[31][2]. It does not require a mordant[8]. The seed husks can be dried and stored for later use[8]. A light brown dye is obtained from the young twigs, leaves, buds and unripe fruit[4][8][14]. It does not require a mordant[8]. The leaves can also be dried and stored for later use[8]. A black dye is obtained from the young roots[20]. Plants produce chemicals which can inhibit the growth of other plants. These chemicals are dissolved out of the leaves when it rains and are washed down to the ground below, reducing the growth of plants under the tree[9][11][5]. The roots of this species produce substances that are toxic to many plant species, especially apples (Malus species), members of the Ericaceae, Potentilla spp and the white pines (certain Pinus spp.)[12][13]. Wood - coarse-grained, light, soft, not strong, very attractive[23][26][30][4]. It weighs 25lb per cubic foot[18]. It is not as valuable a crop as the black walnut (J. nigra), but is used indoors for furniture, doors etc[17].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Herbicide
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Georgia, west to Arkansas and North Dakota.
Habitat
Usually found in rich moist soils of woods and river terraces[22][30], but it also grows on dry rocky soils, especially if these are on limestone[16]..
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in individual deep pots in a cold frame[29]. You need to protect it from mice, birds, squirrels etc. The seed usually germinates in late winter or the spring. Plant out the seedlings into their permanent positions in early summer and give some protection from the cold for their first winter or two. The seed can also be stored in cool moist conditions (such s the salad compartment of a fridge) over the winter and sown in early spring but it may then require a period of cold stratification before it will germinate[28][29].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a deep well-drained loam and a position sheltered from strong winds[1][3]. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil[12]. Prefers a sandy soil with a pH around 6 to 7[6]. Dislikes compacted soils or clay sub-soils, otherwise trees grow well on most soils[6]. This is the most cold-resistant of the walnuts[4], tolerating temperatures down to about -35°c in N. America when fully dormant[6]. It is less hardy in Britain, unfortunately, because the wood does not ripen so well here due to our cooler summers. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts[12]. Sometimes cultivated in N. America for its edible seed, there are some named varieties[27][4][10]. Trees can come into bearing in 6 - 10 years from seed and fruiting is usually biennial[6]. The trees are quite short-lived, seldom exceeding 80 - 90 years[17]. They require about 105 frost-free days in order to ripen a crop in N. America[6]. Unfortunately, they have not proved successful as a nut tree in Britain, usually failing to produce a crop[3]. This is probably due to our cooler summers[3]. It is sometimes planted as a timber tree in Denmark and Rumania[24]. Plants produce a deep taproot and are intolerant of root disturbance. Seedlings should be planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible and given some protection for their first few winters since they are somewhat tender when young[1][3]. Trees cast a dense shade which reduces the amount of species able to grow below them[13]. We have no specific information for this species, but the roots of several members of this genus produce substances that are toxic to many plant species, especially apples (Malus species), members of the Ericaceae, Potentilla spp and the white pines (certain Pinus spp.)[12]. The leaves of many species also secrete substances that have an inhibitory affect on plants growing underneath them. All in all this is not a very good companion plant[K]. Plants should only be pruned when they are fully dormant in winter or when they are in full leaf, otherwise any cuts will bleed profusely[12]. Hybridizes with J. ailantifolia, there are some named varieties of this hybrid that are grown for their edible seed[6].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  2. Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  4. Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  5. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  7. Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

    ↩

  8. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  9. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩

  10. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  11. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩

  12. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  13. Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0-304-34324-2

    ↩1↩2

  14. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2↩3

  15. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

    ↩

  19. Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996-00-00 ISBN 9-780751-303148

    ↩1↩2↩3

  20. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩

  21. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  22. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  23. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  24. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  25. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

    ↩

  26. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2↩3

  27. Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948-00-00

    ↩

  28. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

    ↩

  29. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2

  30. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  31. Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-486-23310-3

    ↩

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