Landowner Fact Sheets

yellow buckeye Aesculus flava play

Yellow buckeye is a tree of moist coves and bottomlands.

range map Click to see more images. fall color

Light
Buckeye is generally not intentionally regenerated. Buckeye readily stump sprouts. Seedling establishment is hindered under harsh and dry conditions.

Water
Occurs typically in cool, moist, fertile sites and is often found with northern red oak, basswood and sugar maple. It is quite tolerant to shade and establishes itself in the understory.

Growth

Size
Typically quite straight, 50 to 80 feet tall with hanging branches; trunk diameter 1 to 2 feet.

Timber Value
This tree has the softest wood of all American hardwoods, so (aside from pulp) it is not widely harvested for lumber.

Wildlife Value
Twigs and fruits are toxic, which limits usage by wildlife.

Insects and Diseases

Fun Facts
Yellow buckeye wood is light and soft and used in cheap manufacturing. The large seeds are poisonous to humans, but eaten by wildlife. It is occasionally planted as an ornamental.

Latin Meaning
Aesculus: Latin for an oak with edible acorns (caution - many are poisonous) / flava: yellow

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Landowner Factsheets © 2004 Virginia Tech Forestry Department, all rights reserved. Text, images, and programming by: Dr. Jeff Kirwan, Dr. John R. Seiler, John A. Peterson, Edward C. Jensen, Guy Phillips, or Andrew S. Meeks.