Aesculus flava (Yellow Buckeye)
Yellow Buckeye, Big Buckeye, Sweet Buckeye, Aesculus octandra
Award-winning Aesculus flava (Yellow Buckeye) is a large deciduous tree of upright-oval to oval-rounded habit with immense secondary branches clothed in palmate compound leaves divided into 5-7 dark green leaflets. In mid to late spring, greenish yellow flowers are borne in erect panicles, 6 in. long (15), but are often almost lost among the leaves. The flowers give way to smooth, pear-shaped, brownish capsules that contain one or two buckeyes. The foliage turns brilliant yellow to pumpkin-orange in the fall. The gray-brown bark features large, flat, smooth plates and scales on mature trunks. This species is regarded as one of the most spectacular and trouble-free as Yellow Buckeye appears less prone to disease than A. x carnea, A. glabra, and A. hippocastanum. A stately landscape tree for parks and large lawns. It may be planted as a shade tree.
- Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society.
- Grows up to 50-70 ft. tall (15-21 m) and 30-50 ft. wide (9-15 m).
- Thrives in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. Prefers moist, fertile, humusy-sandy loams.
- Keep an eye out for canker, coral spot, leaf spot and horse chestnut scale.
- Propagate by seed or grafting
- All parts are mildly poisonous by ingestion.
- Toxic to dogs, toxic to cats, toxic to horses.
- Native to North America.
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Requirements
Hardiness | 3
– 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones | 1
– 8 |
Plant Type | Trees |
Plant Family | Aesculus |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Mid,Late) Summer (Early,Mid,Late) Fall |
Height | 50' – 70' (15m – 21m) |
Spread | 30' – 50' (9m – 15m) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy, Fruit & Berries |
Native Plants | United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Northeast, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |
Plant Image Library, Dan Keck, Flickr, Nick Pecker, Peter Turner Photography, Iva Villii, Shutterstock
While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
Requirements
Hardiness | 3
– 8 |
---|---|
Heat Zones | 1
– 8 |
Plant Type | Trees |
Plant Family | Aesculus |
Exposure | Full Sun, Partial Sun |
Season of Interest |
Spring (Mid,Late) Summer (Early,Mid,Late) Fall |
Height | 50' – 70' (15m – 21m) |
Spread | 30' – 50' (9m – 15m) |
Water Needs | Average |
Maintenance | Low |
Soil Type | Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand |
Soil pH | Acid, Alkaline, Neutral |
Soil Drainage | Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained |
Characteristics | Plant of Merit, Showy, Fruit & Berries |
Native Plants | United States, Midwest, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Northeast, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Southeast, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia |
Garden Styles | Prairie and Meadow |