Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

red buckeye

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Aesculus pavia

Family:

Sapindaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

tree

Size:

8-35 ft tall by 5-20 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

red

Fruit Color:

brown

Phenology:

Deciduous. Red blooms in early spring. Fruits ripen in fall.

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Use as a specimen plant or understory tree. May be single or multi-stemmed.

Considerations:

Toxic fruits and foliage. Leaves drop earlier than other deciduous trees.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, FNPS Plant Sales, Friends

Propagation:

Seed, stem cuttings.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded------------------------------------------------Extremely Dry

---|---- <------------------->

Usually moist, occasional inundation ---to--- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand, Loam

Soil pH:

6.1-7.5

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B

Ecology

Wildlife:

Butterflies, Hummingbirds

Native Habitats:

Upland hardwood forests.

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

Native Americans crushed the seeds and young twigs and put them in water to stupefy fish for easier capture. Soap may be obtained from the roots and a black dye from the wood.

General Comments: