Aesculus pavia
Aesculus pavia
red buckeye
- Plant type and subtype:
- Shrubs
- Deciduous
- Tree-like Shrubs
- Trees
- Deciduous
- Shrub-like Trees
- Shrubs
- Hardiness Zone:
- 6,
- 7,
- 8
- Light Requirements:
- part-shade,
- part-sun,
- sun
- Height: 10'-20'
- Leaf Color:
- green,
- blue-green
- Bloom Color:
- red
- Bloom Time:
- Mar,
- Apr,
- May
- Water Use:
- medium
- Soil Moisture:
- moist
- Soil Description:
- acid,
- neutral,
- alkaline,
- rich,
- average,
- loam,
- sand
- Additional Tags:
- attracts bees,
- hedging plant,
- attracts hummingbirds,
- poisonous,
- showy fruit
- Description:
The red buckeye may be considered a large shrub or a small tree, that rarely grows taller than 20'. It blooms in spring with large, erect panicles of bright red, trumpet-shaped flowers, much to the delight of hummingbirds. The large, glossy leaves are made up of 5 leaflets joined at the center. The foliage tends to die back as early as late summer, particularly if located in a dry or sunny area. It produces large, smooth seed capsules in fall. The 1"-2" glossy seeds, called buckeyes, are poisonous and avoided by most wildlife.
- Cultivation:
Easy to grow in average soil and light conditions. It prefers moist, well drained soil. Too much water nay lead to leaf blotch and other diseases. Too much sun and dry conditions can cause the the leaves to drop prematurely in late summer. The red buckeye takes well to being trimmed to form hedges and privacy screens. Blooms March-May. Zones 6-8.
- Propagation:
Aesculus pavia may be propagated from root cuttings in early spring. It is very easy to propagate by seed. Fresh buckeyes should be planted immediately after being collected. Saplings may produce flowers as early as their second year.
- Additional Notes:
Both the roots and the seeds are poisonous to humans. Squirrels are just about the only wildlife capable of ingesting the buckeyes. The wood was used by early pioneers to produce a black dye.
Map of Native Range
- Range by State: USDA data
- Recorded County Distribution: USDA data
*The map of native range is based on the latest available USDA data.
There may be gaps in the county level distribution.
AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
Classification
| Kingdom: | Plantae | Plants |
| Subkingdom: | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
| Superdivision: | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
| Division: | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
| Class: | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
| Subclass: | Rosidae | |
| Order: | Sapindales | |
| Family: | Hippocastanaceae | Horse-chestnut family |
| Genus: | Aesculus | buckeye |
| Species: | Aesculus pavia | red buckeye |
| Synonyms: | scarlet buckeye, firecracker plant |
USDA Endangered Status
| N/A |
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