Leaves: Alternate, pinnately compound, with up to 17 leaflets; leaflets up to 3 inches long and 2 inches wide, broadly lance-shaped, pointed at the tip, rounded at the asymmetrical base, finely toothed along the edges, yellow-green on the upper surface, paler on the lower surface, softly hairy and sometimes sticky.
Flowers: Borne separately but on the same tree, appearing when the leaves are partly grown, the staminate several in thick, yellow-green catkins, the pistillate much fewer in spikes, neither of them with petals.
Fruit: In groups of 2-5, ovoid-oblong, up to 2½ inches long, sticky-hairy, the husk thick, the nut pointed at one end and with well-developed wings, pale brown, the seed sweet.
Wood: Soft, light in weight, coarse-grained, pale brown.
Uses: Furniture, interior finishing; the nut is sought after as a delicacy.
Habitat: Bottomland woods.
Range: New Brunswick across to Minnesota, south to Arkansas, east to Georgia.
Distinguishing Features: The Butternut is distinguished by its bark pattern, its chocolate-colored, partitioned pith, and its distinctive fruits.
