| AESCULUS CALIFORNICA CALIFORNIA BUCKEYE Species Name: Aesculus californica
Family: Hippocastanaceae (buckeye family)
Plant Type: Broad-leaf tree
Description:
Tree, height 15-40 feet, deciduous with leaves falling by late summer as a strategy against drought, new leaf growth begins in February.
Leaf: Compound, palmate leaf, generally with 5 leaflets, leaflet finely toothed, length 2-7 inches.
 
Flower: May-June: Spike-like cluster, length 6-8 inches, with small white to pinkish, sweet smelling flowers (length ½ inch). Pollen and nectar are toxic to honeybees.
Fruit/Seed: Large, pear shaped, grayish-brown, and leathery. Usually a single fruit is born at tip of flower spike and remains on tree after leaf fall. Fruit splits to reveal a large brown seed (said to look like a buck's eye). Seed round, large, diameter 1-2 inches, glossy brown, ripens in September.
Typical Location: Established floodplain forests, borders of streams, canyons, dry slopes; elevations below 5,600 feet. Revegetation Approach: Container and direct seeding. Seeds easy to grow but toxic. Tolerant of urban pollution and salt spray.
Notes: All plant parts toxic, but seeds provide wildlife with some forage. Roots are good for binding soil. Native Americans used ground seeds to stun fish.
Go back to Riparian Plant List
|