Ohio Buckeye

Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

Fetid Buckeye

Full to part sun, medium moisture, tolerates clay loams and rocky soils, pH 5.5–7.0.

20–40 feet tall by 20–40 feet wide; blooms April–May with 12.7–17.8 cm upright panicles of yellow-green flowers with protruding stamens; fruit is a warty (spiny-surfaced) tan-brown husk containing 1–3 glossy brown seeds, ripening September–October.

Germination Code C (cold stratification, 90–120 days); sow fresh-collected seed in fall; seeds desiccate rapidly in storage.

Native region: Middle and East Tennessee, concentrated along stream terraces and moist lower slopes of the Cumberland Plateau and Highland Rim.

Smaller and more shade-tolerant than Aesculus flava, Ohio Buckeye fits mid-sized residential properties across the Columbia area but demands consistently moist, well-drained soil — prolonged standing water promotes root rot documented in UT Extension shade tree disease surveys. The common name 'fetid buckeye' references the unpleasant odor of crushed foliage and twigs; all plant parts contain aesculin and are toxic to humans and livestock. Early leaf drop in late summer is characteristic under heat stress, not a sign of disease. Warty husk texture reliably separates this species from Yellow Buckeye's smooth fruit. Catkins and pollen attract native bees in early spring before most competing food sources open.