General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic
Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 4a -34.4 °C (-30 °F) to -31.7 °C (-25 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 8b
Plant Height: 50-75 feet (oblong-rounded crown)
Plant Spread: 30-50 feet
Leaves: Good fall color
Deciduous
Fruit: Showy
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Time: Spring
Uses: Shade Tree
Flowering Tree
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Other Beneficial Insects
Toxicity: Fruit is poisonous
Other: The fruit is the Buckeye
Propagation: Seeds: Seeds are hydrophilic
Pollinators: Bees
Miscellaneous: Monoecious
Awards and Recognitions: RHS AGM

Image
Common names
  • Yellow Buckeye
  • Sweet buckeye
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Aesculus flava
  • Synonym: Aesculus octandra

Photo Gallery
Location: St Louis - MoBOT

Date: 2008-05-12

Date: 2009-08-11

Date: 2008-05-12
Flower buds ready to open.
Location: BG Meise (Belgium)
Date: 2015-10-23

Date: 2013-09-19
Summer view

Date: 2009-04-01
Close up view of bark.

photo credit:  BlueRidgeKitties
Location: BG Meise (Belgium)
Date: 2015-10-23
Location: Lost Maples Natural Area, Vanderpool, Texas
Date: 2022-04-06
the yellow blooms really stand out

Date: 2009-02-04
Winter habit

Date: 2009-04-01
My friend Lynn standing next to the tree to show how large this t
Location: Blinky Lee Land Preserve near Kimberton, PA
Date: 2015-08-15
young planted tree
Location: Blinky Lee Land Preserve near Kimberton, PA
Date: 2015-08-15
the fruit, husk over a nut

Date: c. 1865
illustration by Bessa from Michaux's 'The North American Sylva',
Location: Morris Arboretum, Philadelphia
Date: 2009-02-04

credit: Jaknouse
Location: Tyler Arboretum in southeast PA near Media
Date: 2011-08-24
maturing planted tree
Location: Morris Arboretum near Philadelphia, PA
Date: 2016-06-15
full-grown tree
Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Nov 22, 2017 12:06 PM concerning plant:
    I've seen a few of this good tree species planted at arboretums in southeast Pennsylvania. Its native range in in the Appalachian Region of southwest Pennsylvania to northern Georgia and along the Ohio River to southcentral Indiana. It is hardly different from the more common Ohio Buckeye. It also has its compound leaves with 5 leaflets that turn orange in autumn. The erect terminal flower clusters are also yellow. The husk of the fruit capsule is different in that it is smooth, while the Ohio species has little bumps and spines on it. The Yellow species also likes moist or draining wet soil that is somewhat acid to slightly alkaline. It grows about 1 foot/year and lives about 150 to 250 years. It tolerates a little more shade than the Ohio species. It also can be hit hard some years with cool, wet springs by Leaf Blotch fungus disease, so many leaves darken and fall early in late summer.

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