Butternut Plant Care

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) belongs to the Juglandaceae family within the Juglans genus. Butternut is native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada. Butternut is also known as White Walnut, Grey Walnut.

Butternut displays a tall, deciduous tree growth habit, reaching up to 100 ft tall with a spread of approximately 50 ft. Butternut produces inconspicuous greenish flowers.

Leaf size: approximately 12 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Butternut every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Butternut thrives in full sun.

Juglans cinerea tolerates temperatures of 0–100°F. Butternut prefers humidity levels of 30–70%.

Rich, well-draining soil with good organic content. Good drainage is essential for Butternut to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Butternut every 8 months during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun and rich, well-draining soil with good organic content. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Butternut is suited to USDA Zone 3a – 7b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Butternut can spread to about 50 ft (15.2 m) and reach about 100 ft (30 m) tall. Space plants about 50 ft (15.2 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Butternut while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Butternut is hardy down to USDA zone 3a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Butternut can be propagated through seeds, grafting. Similar propagation techniques also apply to black walnut plant care, which shares the same genus.

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Butternut is susceptible to walnut caterpillars, walnut husk flies. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Butternut grows outdoors in USDA Zone 3a – 7b. It survives winters down to planting zone 3a. Butternut is native to the eastern United States and southeast Canada.