The buckeye tree is widely recognized for its distinctive appearance in the North American landscape. It holds cultural significance, particularly in Ohio, where it serves as the state tree and lends its name to residents and university sports teams. This article explores its iconic nut and the tree itself.
The Iconic Buckeye Nut
The buckeye nut, often considered the tree’s most recognizable feature, has a unique visual appeal. Typically rounded or slightly flattened, these nuts are a rich, glossy reddish-brown with a polished, almost lacquered appearance.
A defining characteristic of the buckeye nut is its distinct light-colored “eye” or scar, which earned the nut its name due to its resemblance to a deer’s eye. This pale patch creates a striking contrast against the dark brown surface. The nuts usually ripen and fall from the tree in late summer and early autumn. Each nut is enclosed within a leathery, often spiny or warty, greenish-brown capsule that splits open to release one to three seeds.
The Buckeye Tree’s Other Visual Characteristics
Beyond its notable nut, the buckeye tree exhibits several distinct visual traits. Its leaves are palmately compound, meaning they radiate from a single point like fingers from a hand. Depending on the species, these leaves typically consist of five to seven elliptical leaflets with fine teeth. In spring, the leaves emerge medium green, transitioning to vibrant shades of orange, yellow, or red in the fall.
The tree’s flowers appear in upright, showy clusters called panicles during spring. These flowers range in color from yellow-green to reddish, depending on the specific buckeye species; for example, the Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) typically produces greenish-yellow flowers. The bark of a mature buckeye tree is generally grayish-brown, often developing a rough, furrowed, or flaky texture with age. The tree’s overall shape tends to be rounded, with some species reaching heights of 20 to 60 feet.
Key Differences and Important Safety Information
Distinguishing buckeye trees from similar-looking species, particularly the European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), is important for identification. While both belong to the same genus (Aesculus), horse chestnut leaves are often larger with seven leaflets, compared to the buckeye’s usual five. Horse chestnut nuts are generally larger and encased in a spiny green husk more pronounced than the buckeye’s often warty or less spiny capsule. Horse chestnut flowers are typically white with a reddish tinge, unlike the buckeye’s more varied yellow-green to red blooms.
Understanding buckeye toxicity is important. All parts of the plant, including leaves, bark, and especially the nuts, contain toxic compounds such as aesculin and saponins. Ingesting any part can cause symptoms ranging from severe vomiting and diarrhea to muscle weakness, dilated pupils, and neurological issues in humans and animals. Avoid consuming buckeye nuts or any other part of the plant. Buckeye nuts are not edible and should not be confused with true edible chestnuts.