General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Tree
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Water Preferences: Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 3 -40 °C (-40 °F) to -37.2 °C (-35)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 7b
Plant Height: 20-40 feet (broad oval-rounded crown)
Plant Spread: 20-40 feet
Leaves: Good fall color
Deciduous
Fragrant
Fruit: Showy
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Showy
Fragrant
Flower Color: Green
Yellow
Other: Greenish-yellow
Flower Time: Spring
Uses: Water gardens
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Butterflies
Other Beneficial Insects
Toxicity: Leaves are poisonous
Roots are poisonous
Fruit is poisonous
Other: All parts of this tree are poisonous if taken internally. Keep away from livestock; seeds and fruits are attractive to children and are dangerous.
Propagation: Seeds: Seeds are hydrophilic
Pollinators: Wasps
Bees
Miscellaneous: Monoecious

Image
Common names
  • Ohio Buckeye
  • Texas buckeye
  • Horse chestnut

Photo Gallery
Location: Columbus, Ohio USA, Zone 6b
Date: 2022-01-14
Root just starting to emerge from nut
Location: Botanical Graden Meise - Nationale Plantentuin Meise - Brussel
Location: Glen Ellyn, IL
Date: October in 1980's
full-grown tree in autumn color
Location: Botanical Graden Meise - Nationale Plantentuin Meise - Brussel

USDA photo
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2022-05-22

photo by H. Zell

photo by H. Zell

photo by H. Zell
Location: northeast Illinois
Date: May 1980's
yellow flower clusters
Location: Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL
Date: 2010-08-18
capsules and foliage

Date: September 18, 2010
photo by H. Zell

Date: c. 1865
illustration by Bessa from Michaux's 'The North American Sylva',

Date: 2002-05-22
Steven J. Baskauf http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/

Date: 2005-05-28
Steven J. Baskauf http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/
Location: Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL
Date: 2010-08-18
bark of a really big, old trunk

USDA photo

photo by H. Zell

Date: 2002-04-23
Steven J. Baskauf http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/

Date: 2002-04-23
Steven J. Baskauf http://bioimages.vanderbilt.edu/
Location: northeast Illinois
Date: May in 1980's
a maturing tree in bloom
Location: Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL
Date: June 1980's
a maturing tree in summer
Location: Glen Ellyn, IL
Date: 2010-08-20
full-grown tree in yard
Location: Glen Ellyn, IL
Date: 2010-08-20
mature trunk
Location: Tarlton
Date: 2018-05-27
Comments:
  • Posted by ILPARW (southeast Pennsylvania - Zone 6b) on Nov 21, 2017 4:32 PM concerning plant:
    I've seen this species planted in a few landscapes here and there in northeast Illinois and a few in arboretums in southeast Pennsylvania. It is native to western Pennsylvania, Ohio, most of IL & IN, Kentucky, Missouri, southern Iowa, east Kansas-Oklahoma-Texas, west Arkansas, and central Tennessee. It is slow growing of about 1 foot/year and lives about 150 to 200 years. Its leaves are of 5 leaflets and it gets a good orange fall color if the foliage is not struck by Leaf Blotch fungus heavily that happens some years of cool, wet springs, so the leaves blacken and fall in late summer. It is messy with the fallen capsules with the buckeye brown nut inside, loved by squirrels. It often makes a great climbing tree for kids. It is offered by some large, diverse nurseries, specialty nurseries, and native plant nurseries.
  • Posted by robertduval14 (Milford, New Hampshire - Zone 5b) on Apr 19, 2013 7:30 PM concerning plant:
    Ohio's state tree.
  • Posted by Mindy03 (Delta KY) on Mar 23, 2012 2:08 PM concerning plant:
    Honey bees get nectar from this plant

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