Butternut

Juglans cinerea

Found in moist, nutrient-rich forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

Strong

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 94%

Height: 40–60 feet
Spread: 40–60 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

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Butternut canker. Butternut canker disease now threatens this tree's continued existence. Plant caution source

Rare or protected plant. Specialist conservation planting; excluded from routine garden suggestions. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: October

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Recorded in 14 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 132 animals.

Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Summer Tanager
Piranga rubra
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
Birds. 4 shared habitats
Worm-eating Warbler
Helmitheros vermivorum
Birds. 4 shared habitats
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Birds. 3 shared habitats
American Woodcock
Scolopax minor
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-billed Cuckoo
Coccyzus erythropthalmus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Black-throated Green Warbler
Dendroica virens
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blue-winged Warbler
Vermivora pinus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Cerulean Warbler
Dendroica cerulea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Dendroica pensylvanica
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Golden-winged Warbler
Vermivora chrysoptera
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Indigo Bunting
Passerina cyanea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Least Flycatcher
Empidonax minimus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Lincoln's Sparrow
Melospiza lincolnii
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Swainson's Warbler
Limnothlypis swainsonii
Birds. 3 shared habitats
White-eyed Vireo
Vireo griseus
Birds. 3 shared habitats
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
Birds. 3 shared habitats
Blackburnian Warbler
Dendroica fusca
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Eurasian Collared-dove
Streptopelia decaocto
Birds. 2 shared habitats
Hermit Thrush
Catharus guttatus
Birds. 2 shared habitats

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

123CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Juglans

Actias lunaLuna Moth
Citheronia regalisRegal Moth
Satyrium calanusBanded Hairstreak
Abagrotis alternataGreater Red Dart, Mottled Grey Cutworm
Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
Acrobasis caryivorellaPecan Nursery Casemaker, Hickory Shoot Moth
Acrobasis demotellaWalnut Shoot Moth
Acrobasis juglandisPecan Leaf Casebearer
Acrobasis stigmellaHickory Bud-and-Shoot Borer

Show all 123

Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
Acronicta impletaYellow-Haired Dagger
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Allotria elonymphaFalse Underwing
Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
Amorpha juglandisWalnut Sphinx
Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
Anatrachyntis rileyiPink Scavanger Caterpillar
Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
Apatelodes torrefactaSpotted Apatelodes
Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
Archips infumatanaSmoked Leafroller Moth
Archips rileyanaSouthern Ugly-Nest Caterpillar Moth
Argyrotaenia juglandanaHickory Leafroller
Automeris ioIo Moth
Baileya australisSmall Baileya
Baileya dormitansSleeping Baileya
Baileya levitansPale Baileya
Baileya ophthalmicaEyed Baileya
Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
Caloptilia blandellaWalnut Caloptilia
Catocala flebilisMourning Underwing
Catocala habilisHabilis Underwing
Catocala innubensThe Betrothed
Catocala judithJudith's Underwing
Catocala lacrymosaTearful Underwing
Catocala maestosaSad Underwing
Catocala nebulosaClouded Underwing
Catocala neogamaThe Bride
Catocala palaeogamaOldwife Underwing
Catocala piatrixThe Penitent, Penitent Underwing
Catocala retectaYellow-Grey Underwing
Catocala robinsoniiRobinson's Underwing
Catocala serenaSerene Underwing
Catocala subnataYouthful Underwing
Catocala viduaWidow Underwing
Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
Cenopis directanaChokecherry Leafroller Moth
Chaetaglaea sericeaSilky Sallow
Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
Coleophora laticornellaPecan Cigar Casebearer
Crocigrapha normaniNorman's Quaker
Cydia caryanaHickory Shuckworm, Pecan Shuckworm
Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
Dasychira obliquataStreaked Tussock Moth
Datana drexeliiDrexel's Datana
Datana integerrimaWalnut Caterpillar Moth
Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
Derrima stellataPink Star
Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
Dryocampa rubicundaRosy Maple Moth, Green-Striped Mapleworm, Rosy Dryocampa
Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
Elaphria versicolorVariegated Midget
Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
Erannis tiliariaLinden Looper Moth, Western Winter Moth, Lime Looper
Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
Eupsilia cirripaleaFranclemont's Sallow
Eupsilia vinulentaStraight-Toothed Sallow
Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
Euzophera semifuneralisAmerican Plum Borer
Gretchena bollianaPecan Bud Moth
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Haploa leconteiLeconte's Haploa
Haploa reversaReversed Haploa
Heterocampa pulvereaWhite-Blotched Heterocampa
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hypagyrtis unipunctataOne-Spotted Variant
Hypena madefactalisGray-Edged Bomolocha, Gray-Edged Snout
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Iridopsis defectariaBrown-Shaded Gray, Willow Looper
Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
Isa textulaCrowned Slug
Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
Lochmaeus bilineataDouble-Lined Prominent
Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
Malacosoma americanaEastern Tent Caterpillar
Malacosoma disstriaForest Tent Caterpillar
Melanolophia canadariaCanadian Melanolphia, Variable Redmarked Looper
Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
Nemoria bistriariaTwo-Striped Emerald, Red-Fringed Emerald
Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
Olethreutes inornatanaInornate Olethreutes
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia garmaniGarman's Quaker
Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
Panopoda rufimargoRed-Lined Panopoda
Parallelia bistriarisMaple Looper Moth
Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
Phigalia titeaThe Half-Wing Geometer, Spiney Looper, Eastern Oak Looper
Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Prochoerodes lineolaLarge Maple Spanworm Moth
Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
Psaphida electilisChosen Sallow
Pyrrhia ciliscaAmerican Bordered Sallow, Noble Sun Moth
Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
Selenia kentariaKent's Geometer
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Stigmella juglandifoliellaPecan Serpentine Leafminer
Sympistis infixaBroad-Lined Sallow
Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
Dichomeris ventrellus
Gretchena concitatricana
Gretchena concubitana

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Juglandaceae
Hardiness: Zones 3a–7b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Yellow or green
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Single stem
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: October
Fruit ends: October

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs)
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 3a–7b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “40–60 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “40–60 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

White Walnut

Conservation status

Alabama rank	S1
Global rank	G3
AL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

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Butternut

At a glance

Natural habitats

Also found with this plant

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

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