Aesculus pavia (red buckeye)
Red buckeye is a feast for the eyes when in flower and the parent tree of these seedlings has flowers that are a TRUE deep red (we mention this because we read that sometimes the tree flowers greenish, though we've never seen that). Can you name many another native southeastern trees with showy red flowers? There are only a few! (hint: red maple, red dogwood) The flowers are a touted source of nectar for the ruby-throated hummingbird.
This just in: I read on Backyard Wildlife Connection that Red Buckeye is listed as one of the 10 top native hummingbird nectar plants. Whoo hoo!
When you see the seeds, you'll immediately understand why it's called a buckeye tree. Our plants are seedling grown by us from seeds from Dr. Michael Dirr's garden.
The smaller stature is a coveted asset for those of us with smaller gardens. A larger buckeye tree we grow is Aesculus flava, yellow buckeye.
- native flowering tree
- small tree ideal for smaller spaces
- pollinator plant: flowers are nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds
- bird food
- Summer: dark green
- Fall: none
It's August and there are no leaves on the tree, is it dead?
No, it's not dead. Red buckeye along with a handful of other trees tend to loose their leaves in late summer, even before fall. We feel this is a small disadvantage compared to the fact that the flowers are a nectar source. Other examples of late summer defoliation are Betula nigra (river birch) and some cherry trees.
Is this edible?
No, only squirrels can eat the buckeyes and they love them!