NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details
Aesculus flava [= Aesculus octandra]
Yellow Buckeye
Scientific Name: |
Aesculus flava [= Aesculus octandra] |
---|---|
Genus: |
Aesculus |
Species Epithet: |
flava |
Common Name: |
Yellow Buckeye |
Plant Type |
Tree/Shrub |
Life Cycle |
Perennial |
Plant Family |
Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family) |
Native/Alien: |
NC Native |
Size: |
72-100 ft. |
Bloom Color(s): |
Yellow |
Light: |
Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day |
Soil Moisture: |
Moist |
Bloom Time: |
April, May |
Growing Area: |
Mountains |
Habitat Description: |
Moist forests, up to nearly 2000m, especially prominent in seepy cove forests, in the Piedmont only in “montane” habitats (Weakley 2015). Common in NC Mountains, rare in Piedmont. |
Leaf Arrangement: |
Opposite |
Leaf Retention: |
Deciduous |
Leaf Type: |
Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like |
Leaf Form: |
Compound |
Life Cycle: |
Perennial |
Wildlife Value: |
Important for Wildlife |
Landscape Value: |
Recommended and Available |
State Rank: |
S5: Secure (*Key) |
Global Rank: |
G5 - Secure (*Key) |
Notes: |
Attracts butterflies. Squirrels eat the nut. |
Yellow Buckeye is common in the mountains in moist forests, especially on seepage slopes in coves. "One of the largest, most massive, and commonest trees in Southern Appalachian coves, recognizable in winter by the bark of large platelike slabs, thick twigs, and massive form." Weakley Flora May 2011 Paynter, May, 2012 |
|
Flowers |
|
Fruit |
|
Aesculus flava tree, Craggy Gardens Picnic Area, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC © Will Stuart, 2011 |
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Links: |
Vascular Flora of NC: https://auth1.dpr.ncparks.gov/flora/plant_list.php NC Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aesculus-flava/ |
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