Common names3
California buckeye
buckeye
horsechestnut
Description4
General: Buckeye Family (Hippocastanaceae). This native, deciduous shrub or tree reaches 12 m in height with a broad, rounded crown. The palmately compound leaves occur in leaflets of 5 to 7 and each leaflet is oblong-lanceolate and finely serrate. The inflorescence has many showy flowers in a panicle-like arrangement and it is erect, 1-2 dm. in length. Each individual flower has 4-5 petals and these are white to pale rose with 5-7 exserted stamens. The fruit is pear-shaped and smooth. The large, shiny light-brown seeds are 2-5 cm.
Habitat characteristics5
California buckeye grows on dry slopes, in canyons, and along waterways
[5,21]. In the Central Valley it occurs along stream and river banks
[5,19]. It is associated with poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum)
in most communities in which it occurs [5,17].
Soil: California buckeye grows in sandy, sandy-loam, or gravelly-loam
soils [5].
Climate: California buckeye occurs in a Mediterranean climate with cool
moist winters and hot dry summers [5,15,18]. The mean annual rainfall
is less than 14 inches, and temperatures are in excess of 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (38 degrees C) for several successive days every summer [14].
Elevation: California buckeye occurs below 4,000 feet (1,219 m) [21].
Edible6
The fruit from this tree is a little less appealing than an acorn but nonetheless edible. However, be warned that without proper leaching with hot water, the fruit is toxic. Though in the end, the fruit has more tons of fruit produced per year, it also has less edible meat per so in the end, an acorn is more desirable.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Steve Lew, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA),http://www.flickr.com/photos/61342216@N00/2475985929
- (c) Eugene Zelenko, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA),https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Aesculus_californica-18.jpg/460px-Aesculus_californica-18.jpg
- Public Domain,http://eol.org/data_objects/23368818
- (c) USDA NRCS National Plant Data Center, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA),http://eol.org/data_objects/1376744
- Public Domain,http://eol.org/data_objects/24244298
- (c) jihyunan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
FAQs
All parts of the California buckeye plant are toxic. Glycosidal compounds are present in the bark, leaves, stems, fruits, and seeds.
Are California Buckeyes poisonous to bees? ›
Do not plant buckeyes near apiaries as the flowers are poisonous to honey bees.
What is the fruit of the buckeye tree in California? ›
It has large, shiny round nut-like fruit that appear in late summer and drop in late fall to early winter. Be careful when using this plant in the garden, because all parts of the fruits are toxic.
Is the buckeye fruit edible? ›
Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.
What is the California buckeye nut used for? ›
Native California tribes, including the Pomo, Yokut, and Luiseño, cleverly used the ground-up powder of buckeye seeds to stupefy schools of fish in small streams, making them easier to catch. And the smooth, straight branches of the buckeye made it useful to native peoples as a bow drill and a fire drill.
Can you eat the nut inside of a Buckeye? ›
Removing the shell and roasting the nut neutralizes its harmful tannic acid content and makes for a protein-packed snack. If not prepared properly though, buckeye nuts are toxic to humans, causing symptoms including weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis, and death.
What is the lifespan of a California buckeye tree? ›
Typically, long lived trees, California Buckeyes can boast lifespans of more than 250 years, sometimes reaching three centuries old.
Can you eat red buckeye fruit? ›
The tree's attraction of hummingbirds and butterflies makes it appealing to people who want to attract wildlife. The toxicity of its fruit should be considered when locating red buckeye. Eating the shiny nuts, especially attractive to children, causes kidney failure.
Is a buckeye tree good for anything? ›
The Buckeye's Place in History
As well as the belief in the good fortune of its storied seed, the buckeye has been held to cure rheumatism and other, more minor ailments. Pioneering farm families also made soap from the kernels of buckeye seeds, and many a child's cradle was carved from the wood of this tree.
Who eats Buckeyes? ›
While gray squirrels and other animals do eat buckeyes, it is never a preferred food. In fact, both the seeds and tender young leaves of the plant are said to be poisonous to humans and livestock alike. Humans have long made use of the red buckeye. Native Americans were known to crush buckeye branches to catch fish.
The buckeye nut can only be eaten if it is removed from the shell and roasted.
What does buckeye taste like? ›
Buckeyes taste like peanut butter cups with an emphasis on the peanut butter! Not too sweet, really creamy, and so satisfying.
Can you cook buckeye nut? ›
The buckeye nut can only be eaten if it is removed from the shell and roasted. The nut cannot be consumed raw, since it contains tannic acid and other chemicals that are mildly poisonous to humans and animals.
Can you eat red Buckeyes? ›
While gray squirrels and other animals do eat buckeyes, it is never a preferred food. In fact, both the seeds and tender young leaves of the plant are said to be poisonous to humans and livestock alike.
How do you identify California buckeye? ›
The trunk is pale and fairly smooth. This tree is summer deciduous, dropping its leaves as soon as they begin to dry out and not sprouting new ones until the following February. If you see a pale-barked leafless tree in the fall and early winter, before other trees lose their leaves, it's probably a California Buckeye.
