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Juglans cinerea - L.

Butternut

Author	L.	Botanical references	11, 43, 200
Family	Juglandaceae	Genus	Juglans
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
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[43, 82], but it also grows on dry rocky soils, especially if these are on limestone[226]..
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	3 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Tree growing to 25m by 20m at a medium rate.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Bountiful'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Sap; Seed.

Edible Uses: Oil; Sweetener.

Seed - eaten raw or ground into a powder and used with cereal flours in making cakes, biscuits, muffins, bread etc[183]. 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[82]. The kernel is usually only about 20% by weight of the whole seed[160] and is hard to extract[226]. The unripe fruit can be pickled[183]. The seed is 3 - 6cm in diameter and is produced in clusters of 3 - 5 fruits[82, 229]. An edible oil is obtained from the seed[101, 117, 183], it tends to go rancid quickly. The sweet sap is tapped in spring and can be used as a refreshing drink[101]. It can also be boiled down to a syrup or sugar, or added to maple syrup[82, 101, 117, 159, 183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Astringent; Cholagogue; Febrifuge; Laxative; Odontalgic; Stomachic.

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[254]. 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[254]. Butternut also lowers cholesterol levels and promotes the clearance of waste products by the liver[254]. An infusion of the inner-bark is used as a cholagogue, febrifuge, mild laxative and stomachic[4, 46, 61, 82, 159, 165, 213, 222]. It is effective in small doses without causing cramps[222]. The bark is best collected in the autumn[213]. Best collected in late spring according to another report[4]. An infusion of the dried outer bark is used in the treatment of toothache and dysentery[226]. The oil from the nuts is used in the treatment of tapeworms and fungal infections[4, 222].

Other Uses

Dye; Herbicide; Wood.

A yellow to orange dye is obtained from the seed husks[46, 61, 82] and from the bark[57]. It is dark brown[95, 101]. It does not require a mordant[169]. The seed husks can be dried and stored for later use[169]. A light brown dye is obtained from the young twigs, leaves, buds and unripe fruit[117, 169, 213]. It does not require a mordant[169]. The leaves can also be dried and stored for later use[169]. A black dye is obtained from the young roots[257]. 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[18, 20, 159]. 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.)[200, 201]. Wood - coarse-grained, light, soft, not strong, very attractive[46, 61, 82, 117]. It weighs 25lb per cubic foot[235]. It is not as valuable a crop as the black walnut (J. nigra), but is used indoors for furniture, doors etc[229].

Cultivation details

Requires a deep well-drained loam and a position sheltered from strong winds[1, 11]. Prefers a slightly alkaline soil[200]. Prefers a sandy soil with a pH around 6 to 7[160]. Dislikes compacted soils or clay sub-soils, otherwise trees grow well on most soils[160]. This is the most cold-resistant of the walnuts[117], tolerating temperatures down to about -35°c in N. America when fully dormant[160]. 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[200]. Sometimes cultivated in N. America for its edible seed, there are some named varieties[63, 117, 183]. Trees can come into bearing in 6 - 10 years from seed and fruiting is usually biennial[160]. The trees are quite short-lived, seldom exceeding 80 - 90 years[229]. They require about 105 frost-free days in order to ripen a crop in N. America[160]. Unfortunately, they have not proved successful as a nut tree in Britain, usually failing to produce a crop[11]. This is probably due to our cooler summers[11]. It is sometimes planted as a timber tree in Denmark and Rumania[50]. 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, 11]. Trees cast a dense shade which reduces the amount of species able to grow below them[201]. 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.)[200]. 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[200]. Hybridizes with J. ailantifolia, there are some named varieties of this hybrid that are grown for their edible seed[160].

Propagation

The seed is best sown as soon as it is ripe in individual deep pots in a cold frame[80]. 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[78, 80].

Cultivars

'Ayers'

A medium size nut with a good kernel percentage[183]. It has a 30% higher crackout rate than the average cultivar[183]. A vigorous upright tree, it is late blooming[183]. The foliage appears to be resistant to the anthracnose fungus and is moderately susceptible to the eriophyid mite[183].

'Bountiful'

The nut has a very good, mild flavour and is easily cracked and shelled[183]. It is borne in clusters of 5 or more and ripens in late August to late September[183]. A hardy, heavy-bearing tree, it is self-fertile and the blossoms resist frost[183]. It is best grown in zones 4 - 7[183].

'Creighton'

A medium size nut with good cracking qualities, cracking out 50% halves[183]. A vigorous tree, it leafs out late and retains its foliage after most other cultivars are completely defoliated in the autumn[183]. The foliage is normally very clean, but it is ocasionally susceptible to eriophyid mite[183].

Links

This plant is also mentioned in the following PFAF articles: Vegtable Oils.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[18] Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979
Details of beneficial and antagonistic relationships between neighbouring plants.

[20] Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978 ISBN 0-88266-064-0
Fairly good.

[43] Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950
A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[57] Schery. R. W. Plants for Man. 0
Fairly readable but not very comprehensive. Deals with plants from around the world.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[62] Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982 ISBN 0442222009
Very readable.

[63] Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948
Rather old but still a masterpiece. Has sections on tropical and temperate plants with edible nuts plus a section on nut plants in Britain. Very readable.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[80] McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985 ISBN 0-901361-21-6
Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.

[82] Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965 ISBN 0-486-20278-X
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.

[95] Saunders. C. F. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications 1976 ISBN 0-486-23310-3
Useful wild plants of America. A pocket guide.

[101] Turner. N. J. and Szczawinski. A. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences 1978
A very readable guide to some wild foods of Canada.

[117] Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984 ISBN 0802707699
A very readable and comprehensive guide. Well illustrated.

[159] McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977 ISBN 0-253-28925-4
A nice pocket guide to this region of America.

[160] Natural Food Institute, Wonder Crops. 1987. 0
Fascinating reading, this is an annual publication. Some reports do seem somewhat exaggerated though.

[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism. 0
An excellent small herbal.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden. 0
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[201] Allardice.P. A - Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers Ltd. 1993 ISBN 0-304-34324-2
A well produced and very readable book.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[226] Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989 ISBN 0889025649
Very good on identification for non-experts, the book also has a lot of information on plant uses.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

[235] Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970 ISBN 0-486-22642-5
Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.

[254] Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants Dorling Kindersley. London 1996 ISBN 9-780751-303148
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

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