**1. Distribution:**
– Juglans cinerea’s distribution range extends east to New Brunswick and from southern Quebec west to Minnesota.
– It also includes southern Alabama and northern Arkansas.
– The species thrives in the Columbia River basin, Pacific Northwest, at middle elevations.
– Its northern range reaches Wisconsin and Minnesota.
– Butternut prefers cooler climates and does not extend into the Deep South.
**2. Description:**
– Juglans cinerea is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 20m tall, rarely up to 40m.
– It has a stem diameter of 40–80cm with light gray bark.
– The leaves are alternate and pinnate, with 11–17 leaflets, downy-pubescent, and bright green.
– Leaves have a terminal leaflet and an odd number of leaflets.
– Butternut rarely lives longer than 75 years.
**3. Flowering and Fruiting:**
– Butternuts leaf out in spring based on photoperiod, not air temperature.
– Male flowers are inconspicuous yellow-green catkins, while female flowers are short terminal spikes.
– The fruit is a lemon-shaped nut, surrounded by a green husk before maturity.
– Flowering and fruiting are key processes in the life cycle of Juglans cinerea.
**4. Ecology:**
– Butternut thrives on stream banks and well-drained soils, rarely on dry, compact, or infertile soils.
– It grows better than black walnut on dry, rocky soils, especially of limestone origin.
– Found in various habitats like coves, slopes, and rocky terrains.
– Canopy competition and diseases like butternut canker affect the ecology of Juglans cinerea.
**5. Conservation:**
– Juglans cinerea is not federally threatened in the US but is of Special Concern in Kentucky.
– Listed as Endangered in Illinois and Threatened in Tennessee, also endangered in Canada.
– Efforts are being made to conserve butternut trees and breed resistance to butternut canker disease.
– Conservation initiatives involve planting grafted butternut trees in seed orchards.