Butternut, White walnut
Juglans cinerea

Family: Juglandaceae

What it is like

A small to medium sized deciduous tree. They grow 25 m tall. The trunk can be 75 cm across. The leaves are alternate and with 11-17 leaflets. They are on a stout, short, hairy central stalk. The leaf is 30-60 cm long. They are yellowish-green and rough above and paler and more densely hairy underneath. They are sticky when young. The side leaflets get progressively smaller towards the base. The leaves are golden yellow in autumn. The flowers are separately male and female. The male pollen flowers are in catkins 6-14 cm long. The female or seed flowers are in erect clusters of 4-7. The fruit are 5-8 cm long. They occur in drooping clusters of 1-5. The fruit are nuts which are small and oblong. They are light coloured and deeply ridged. The kernel is sweet and oily.

The nuts are 76% protein. There are about 30 Juglans species. All species bear edible nuts.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It is native to E. North America. They will grow in many soil conditions. They grow particularly on dry rocky soils or limestone origin. They cannot tolerate shade. In Hobart Botanical gardens. It suits hardiness zones 4-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Britain, Canada, Central Asia, Denmark, Europe, North America, Romania, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The kernels of the nuts are eaten raw. They are used in cakes, cookies and bread. They are also used to thicken porridge. The seeds yield an oil used for seasoning. The young fruit are also pickled in vinegar. The sweet sap can be boiled down to syrup or sugar and added to maple sap.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Nuts, seeds, sap, seeds - oil

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds or by using cuttings of young shoots or by division.

Trees produce after 4 years. Trees live for 80 years. Nuts soon go rancid so must be harvested quickly after maturing.

Its other names

Local names

Oil nut, Lemon walnut, Sivi oreh, Wussoquat

Synonyms

Nux cinerea (L.) M. Gomez; Waltia cinerea (L.) Alef.;