Aesculus pavia
red buckeye
Notes:
Leaves emerge early and drop early (sometimes due to foliar disease). Flowers well even in dense shade, but habit opens up. Smaller and shrubbier in poor, dry soil (but still grows; Bir notes that it handles non-ideal conditions much better than A. flava and A. parviflora). Salt tolerance is debated (Dove/Woolridge and Virginia Tech vs. USDA).
Seeds, bark, and foliage are poisonous.
Less mildew-prone than the invasive A. hippocastanum. Poor compartmentalizer of decay.
'Atrosanguinea', 'Humilis', and 'Splendens' are noted for consistency of red flower color.
Sources: Dove/Woolridge, Sunset, UFL, UConn, Odenwald/Turner, USDA, Dirr & Warren, Bir.
Tags:
attracts:bees
attracts:butterflies
attracts:hummingbirds
attracts:larval host
attracts:mammals
branches strong
clay tolerant
coarse texture
compacted soil tolerant
deer resistant
easy to grow
exposure:full sun
exposure:part shade
form:multi-trunked
form:shrub
form:trainable to single trunk
form:tree
full sun preferred
habit:irregular
habit:oval
habit:rounded
infertile soil tolerant
litter:fruit
long-lived
native:eastern North America
open canopy
persistence:deciduous
PHS Gold Medal Award
poisonous
pollution tolerant
pruning required
rich soil preferred
roots:deep
roots:low damage potential
sandy soil tolerant
showy bark
showy flowers
type:broadleaf
use:border
use:deck/patio
use:mass planting
use:naturalizing
use:shade tree
use:specimen
use:street
water:regular
wet soil tolerant
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