Bush butternut tree
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The Bush butternut tree was a butternut tree in Tumwater, Washington, planted in 1845 by George Bush, an African-American veteran of the War of 1812 who became a pioneer of the Puget Sound region and founder of the city of Tumwater.[2] The tree was thought to be the oldest butternut in the United States and possibly the oldest in the world.[3][4][5] Historians are divided on whether Bush brought a seed or seedling with him from Missouri in the United States to the Puget Sound area, then in Oregon Country.[6]
| Bush butternut | |
|---|---|
 Interactive map of Bush butternut | |
| Species | Butternut (Juglans cinerea) |
| Location | Tumwater, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 46°58′05″N 122°52′55″W |
| Date seeded | 1845 (planted) |
| Custodian | Ray Gleason (arborist)[1] |
| Website | bushprairiefarm |
The original tree stood on Bush's homestead, now Bush Prairie Farm[4] and a land trust, near Olympia Airport. It was seriously damaged in a windstorm in 2015, and collapsed on May 1, 2021, at the age of 176 years.[7]
In 2009, a tree grown from a seed of the original tree was planted on the Washington State Capitol campus in Olympia, Washington.[8][2] Another was planted at Washington State University in Eastern Washington in 2014.[5] Another was planted in Centralia, Washington, in 2017, commemorating its founder George Washington, another African-American settler, and his namesake President George Washington.[1]