As the saying goes, sometimes you don’t know a good thing until it hits you in the head. That’s what happened to me the other day after I got out of my truck where I’ve parked hundreds of times before and got whacked on the head. Bewildered, I looked around and didn’t see anything suspicious, then looked down and saw a light green oval-shaped nut by my foot, one I wasn’t familiar with. A follow-up glance above my head told the story. I’d just been hit on the head by a falling nut, courtesy of a gray squirrel.
Unlike other nuts I’ve picked up, this one had sticky coating, something I hadn’t seen before. I dug out my phone and, using the helpful tree identification app, learned the squirrel might have been the culprit, but the butternut tree was the host. I also found out butternut trees are one of the first to drop their nuts and are found over most of Wisconsin, except for the “northern-most counties.” I’m not sure if Washburn County qualifies as “northern-most,” but we’ve got to be close. My phone also told me butternut trees are a close cousin to the black walnut; in fact, they’re difficult to tell them apart when standing. Their leaves look the same, the trees are about the same height, they grow in the same habitat and — no surprise here — both are dearly loved by squirrels. I also learned butternuts are also highly prized for human consumption because of their smooth, buttery taste. That was something I was looking forward to until I read a little further.
The butternut tree is considered a species of Special Concern in Wisconsin due to a decline in national and local populations. Although Illinois is closer to its normal range, the butternut tree is considered endangered there. Even more alarming, in Minnesota, butternut seed — or nut — collection is highly regulated due to their threatened status there. None of the nuts gathered can be “sold or used for consumption or decoration.” If collected, they have to be “planted directly in upland areas within forest gaps or open canopy to ensure optimal growing conditions.” All butternut plantings must also be protected from deer browse in some manner, according to the Minnesota DNR.
The primary reason butternut tree populations are declining so fast throughout the nation is because of the butternut canker. This canker is a fungal disease thought to have originated outside the country. In Wisconsin, the first butternut canker was found in 1967 and then spread around the state. Up to 80% of butternut trees have been killed by this fungal disease in some states. These deadly cankers are most noticeable on large branches or tree trunks, where long fissures in the bark form. They’re normally sunken and black, sometimes girdling branches and trunks which will eventually kill the tree. The canker spores are spread by wind, rain splash, insects or wind. There’s no cure for a butternut canker; if infected, the tree will most likely die.
I monitored my butternut tree, gathering the fallen nuts every day or so. I was encouraged by the number I saw in the tree’s canopy, optimistic I’d have a bucket full to plant before long. Unfortunately, the local wildlife beat me to them. My bounty only consisted of the couple dozen I’d collected off the ground earlier. Although I was curious about the buttery flavor talked about, I elected to plant the nuts instead. Keep an eye open for these uncommon trees and their sticky nuts. And if you’re lucky enough to find one, consider planting them in their preferred habitat, which is moist but well-drained soil along streams or rivers. Maybe future generations will enjoy the fruits of our labor and find them without being hit on the head.
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