Vick, Albert F. W.
Aesculus californica (Spach) Nutt.
California buckeye
Hippocastanaceae (Horse-Chestnut Family)
California buckeye is a broad, round, symetrically branching
shrub, 10-20 ft. tall, with silvery-gray
bark and lustrous, dark-green, palmately
compound foliage with 4-7 leaflets. The shrub’s primarily white flowers are fragrant and occur in 4-8 in. panicles. Their orange
stamens extend beyond the petals, providing a feathery texture. The pendent, pear-shaped seed
capsule is 2-3 in. long. The fall leaves of this
deciduous shrub are colorful. Thicket-forming shrub.
Image Gallery:
4 photo(s) available
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Perennial Habit: Shrub Leaf Retention: Deciduous Leaf Arrangement: Opposite Leaf Complexity: Palmate Leaf Shape: Lanceolate Leaf Venation: Pinnate Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous Leaf Margin: Dentate Inflorescence: Panicle Size Notes: Height 15-40 feet, spread 30-60 feet.
Leaf: Red
Flower: Flower about 1/2 inch across.
Fruit: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long.
Size Class: 12-36 ft.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Pinkish-white blooms.
Distribution
USA: CA
Native Distribution: Through CA Coast Ranges & Sierra Nevada to Los Angeles & Kern Cos.
Native Habitat: Dry canyons, gullies & wooded slopes
USDA Native Status: L48(N) Growing Conditions
Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Poor, dry soils.
Conditions Comments: California buckeye drops its leaves in July or August, but if given ample moisture it will hold them into fall. The
shrub does not respond well to humidity and high night temperatures.
Benefit
Use Ornamental: The only
native buckeye in the West, this species is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Use Wildlife: Chipmunks and squirrels consume the seeds, but bees are poisoned by the
nectar and pollen.
Use Food: California Indians made flour from the poisonous seeds after leaching out the toxic element with boiling water.
Use Other: Ground, untreated seeds were thrown into pools of water to stupefy fish, which then rose to the surface and were easily caught. Wood used by indigenous Californians to make fire drills and hearths.
Warning: Seeds are poisonous to humans if eaten. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)
Aesculus californica is a larval host and/or nectar source for:
Last Update: 2008-10-18
