Butternut

Appearance

''J. cinerea'' is a deciduous tree growing to 20 m tall, rarely 40 m. Butternut is a slow-growing species, and rarely lives longer than 75 years. It has a 40–80 cm stem diameter, with light gray bark.

The leaves are alternate and pinnate, 40–70 cm long, with 11–17 leaflets, each leaflet 5–10 cm long and 3–5 cm broad. Leaves have a terminal leaflet at the end of the leafstalk and have an odd number of leaflets. The whole leaf is downy-pubescent, and a somewhat brighter, yellower green than many other tree leaves.

Distribution

The distribution range of ''J. cinerea'' extends east to New Brunswick, and from southern Quebec west to Minnesota, south to northern Alabama and southwest to northern Arkansas.Sargent, Charles Sprague. . New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1885. Page 238. Snow, cited above, says "New Brunswick to Georgia, westward to Dakota and Arkansas. Best in Ohio River Basin". It is absent from most of the Southern United States. The species also proliferates at middle elevations in the Columbia River basin, Pacific Northwest; as an off-site species. Trees with 7 ft or 2.1 m class range diameter at breast height were noted in the Imnaha River drainage as late as January 26, 2015. Butternut favors a cooler climate than black walnut and its range does not extend into the Deep South. Its northern range extends into Wisconsin and Minnesota where the growing season is too short for black walnut.

Status

The species is not listed as threatened federally in the US, but is listed as "Special Concern" in Kentucky, "Exploitably Vulnerable" in New York State, and "Threatened" in Tennessee.

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada placed the butternut on the endangered species list in Canada in 2005.

Uses

The butternuts are eaten by wildlife and were made into oil by Native Americans for various purposes, including anointment. The husks contain a natural yellow-orange dye.