It is also prized for gunstocks and interior finishes. In furniture, it is used either as solid wood or as veneer. It is popular for any interior finish where its striking grain and color create special effects. The wood is particularly well suited to gunstocks because of its stability after seasoning, its fine machining qualities, its uniformity of texture and its beauty. It became popular in Colonial days as an imitation of the more expensive mahogany.
Leaflets are downy on the undersides.
The nutmeat is sweet and is favored by people as well as wildlife. Butternut grows best on well-drained soils but occurs most frequently in coves, on slopes and on terraces. It is a fast growing species on favorable sites. The tree rarely attains more than 100 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. The wood is light, soft and not strong.