Buartnut (Juglans ailantifolia x Juglans cinerea)
Buartnut (Juglans ailantifolia x Juglans cinerea)
Local Pickup Available in Harrop, BC
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Why We Grow It
Why We Grow It
Buartnuts are an exceptional choice for Canadian food forests and agroforestry due to their disease resistance, cold hardiness, and high nut yields. Their nitrogen-rich leaf litter improves soil fertility, while their nuts provide a reliable and nutritious food source for both humans and wildlife. By integrating Buartnuts, you can enhance the biodiversity and resilience of your system while enjoying the dual benefits of improved nut quality and adaptability to challenging climates
How the Plant Grows
How the Plant Grows
Buartnuts grow rapidly in their early years, forming a tall, upright trunk and a spreading crown. Their pinnately compound leaves provide dappled shade, making them a good companion tree in agroforestry systems. In spring, they produce inconspicuous greenish flowers, followed by clusters of green-husked nuts that ripen in late summer to early fall. These nuts are larger and easier to crack than those of pure butternuts, with excellent productivity over the tree’s lifespan. The tree we collect from looks like an octopus, its epic.
Plant Size
Plant Size
Size at Maturity- 40-60 feet tall with a spread of 30-50 feet
Current Size- Large 1'-2' 1 year old seedling
Additional Info
Additional Info
Buartnuts are a hybrid of butternut (Juglans cinerea) and heartnut (Juglans ailantifolia var. cordiformis), combining the hardiness and cold tolerance of butternuts with the crackability and productivity of heartnuts. This hybrid is more disease-resistant than pure butternuts, making it an excellent choice for regions where butternut canker is prevalent. These trees are a legacy of Jack Gellatly’s nut breeding program, and their parent trees are mature, disease-free, and highly productive. Buartnuts provide high-quality, easy-to-process nuts that are rich in flavor, making them a favorite for culinary uses and a valuable food source for wildlife.
Buartnuts are a hybrid walnut tree, combining the hardiness of butternuts with the larger, easier-to-crack nuts of heartnuts. This disease-resistant species offers improved productivity and adaptability, making it a valuable addition to permaculture and food forest systems. Grown from genetic material sourced from Jack Gellatly’s heritage nut farm, these trees are bred for colder climates and produce abundant, high-quality nuts. Perfect for adding diversity to your nut plantings, Buartnuts combine resilience, productivity, and utility in one remarkable species.
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Plant Highlights
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Water
Moderate water needs; drought-tolerant once established but benefits from consistent moisture during nut development
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Pollination
Requires cross-pollination with other walnut species, butternut or heartnut, for best yields.
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Soil
Prefers well-drained loamy soils with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.5).
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Years to Bear
Begins producing nuts at 6-10 years, with increasing yields as the tree matures.
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Hardiness
Zones 3/4-7, tolerating temperatures as low as -34°C or colder. Hybrids are worth experimenting with in colder zones
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Solar
Prefers full sun for optimal nut production but can tolerate partial shade.
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