Get to Know our Natives by Nature
Let’s Get to Know our native Butternut tree, a species at risk of disappearing in Ontario.
Scientific name: Juglans cinerea
Status: Endangered. This means the species lives in the wild in Ontario but is facing imminent extinction.
Butternut is a medium-sized tree that can reach up to 30m in height. It belongs to the walnut family and produces edible nuts in the fall. The bark of younger trees is grey and smooth, becoming ridged as it ages.
Butternut is easily recognized by its compound leaves, which are made up of 11 to 17 leaflets arranged in a feather-like pattern. The fruit is a large nut that contains a single seed surrounded by a light green, sticky, fuzzy husk.
Where is Grows
Butternut can be found throughout central and eastern North America. In Canada, Butternut occurs in Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick.
Butternut usually grows alone or in small groups in deciduous forests. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and is often found along streams. This species does not do well in the shade, and often grows in sunny openings and near forest edges.
Fact: Aboriginal people used Butternut medicinally to treat toothaches, injuries and digestive problems.
Butternut Leaf. Source www.treebee.ca
Butternut Nuts. Credit Darlingtonpp. Source: www.Ontario.ca