Butternut - White Walnut, Butternut

Juglans cinerea

Physical Characteristics

Juglans cinerea is a deciduous Tree growing to 25 m (82ft) by 20 m (65ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen from October to November. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Eastern N. America - New Brunswick to Georgia, west to Arkansas and North Dakota.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Oil 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

Astringent Cholagogue Dysentery 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]. The quills or inner bark are one of the few potent laxatives that are safe to use in pregnancy [301. 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].

Known Hazards

The naphthoquinone constituents may cause gastric (stomach) irritation. Avoid in patients with gallstones [301].