The pervasive Butternut Canker Disease is threatening the very survival of endangered Butternut trees across the species’ entire natural range in North America. We are working to help butternut persist on the landscape in Eastern Ontario through several conservation and restoration programs.
Butternut Recovery Program
This landowner-focused program is multi-faceted. Our program:
- Offers advice for landowners on how to maintain any healthy butternuts on their properties
- Tracks healthy butternut locations in a seed-source geodatabase for annual seed collection (with landowner permission)
- Grows canker-tolerant seedlings for the Landowner Butternut Planting Program, which distributes more than 2,000 vigorous seedlings to hundreds of Eastern Ontario landowners each year, to replace dead and dying Butternut trees on the landscape.
Any seeds or buds collected are DNA tested for hybridization to ensure only pure Butternut is being replanted. Tolerant trees are also made available for cloning to support the long-term grafting program managed by the Forest Gene Conservation Association (FGCA).
Butternut Seedling Form
Do you have healthy butternut trees on your property, or do you want to plant some? Use the form below to tell us about a healthy tree location or to request butternut seedlings. Our forestry staff will be in touch as soon as possible.
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Contact
Ian Cochrane
