Synonyms: Wallia cinerea, White Walnut.
Butternut is distributed from southern New Brunswick to southeastern South Dakota, south to eastern Arkansas and northern Georgia (Harlow, 1957). It is a short-lived forest tree. Its populations have declined dramatically in recent decades so that it is now state-rare, due to a canker caused by an introduced fungus, Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum (Weakley, et al., 2012). The fungus does not attack Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), which is the only other native North American species in the genus.
A small- to medium-sized tree, with a short trunk and an open, scraggly crown. Leaves pinnately compound, with 7-17 leaflets. Terminal leaflet is usually persistent (Weakley, et al., 2012), whereas it is usually absent in Black Walnut. The bark of Butternut is "ashy gray, at first smooth, soon divided into broad ridges, eventually deeply furrowed, the furrows separated by narrow, flat-topped ridges" (Harlow, 1957). The nut is large and ovoid, whereas Black Walnut's is more round.
Butternut is most common in the mountains (Brown and Brown, 1972), but is difficult to find because the canker disease has taken its toll. "Does best on deep, moist, rich soils, but also commonly found on limestone outcrops" (Harlow, 1957).
Has been recorded as a host plant for Banded Hairstreak.
Host plant for Luna Moth, Regal Moth, Walnut Sphinx Moth, Pecan Leafminer Moth, Bride Underwing Moth, Penitent Underwing Moth, Bride Underwing Moth, and Banded Tussock Moth, Pecan Leaf Casebearer Moth (Database of World's Lepidopteran Host Plants). Butternut is a host plant for the Butternut Woollyworm.
There are 99 records in the project database.
| GA | AL | WA | FR | CL | MO | HO | BA | BC | HA | CE | PG | AA | CV | CH | SM | KE | QA | CN | TA | DO | WI | SO | WO |
