Virginia Tech Dendrology

yellow buckeye Hippocastanaceae Aesculus flava Aiton symbol: AEFL
Leaf: Opposite, palmately compound, 10 to 15 inches long, 5 oval leaflets, each 3 to 7 inches long, sharply serrate, petiole as long as leaflet; dark green above and paler below.
Flower: Species is monoecious; pale yellow-orange, tubular, with stamens shorter than petals, occur in large showy upright clusters, 4 to 8 inches in length, appear in late spring.
Fruit: Smooth, thick, leathery husks enclosing 1 to 3 smooth chestnut-brown, shiny seeds with a large, lighter brown spot on one side; develop on a stout, terminal stalk and appear as small pear-shaped "potatoes".
Twig: Stout, with a large shield-shaped leaf scar, orangish lenticels; terminal buds are orangish brown, quite large (1/2 to 3/4 inch) with a sharp point; the lateral buds are much smaller.
Bark: Initially smooth, light grayish brown and often quite splotchy. Later develops large scaly patches.
Form: Typically quite straight, 50 to 80 feet tall with hanging branches; trunk diameter 1 to 2 feet.
Looks like: Ohio buckeye - horsechestnut - red buckeye

Additional Range Information: Aesculus flava is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS Silvics of North America - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information - USDAFS Forest Products Lab
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information