Virginia Tech Dendrology

red buckeye Hippocastanaceae Aesculus pavia L. symbol: AEPA
Leaf: Opposite, palmately compound, usually 5, elliptical, serrated leaflets, each 4 to 6 inches long, dark green and glabrous above.
Flower: Beautiful, upright cluster of dark-red tubular flowers, each cluster 4 to 7 inches long, appearing in spring.
Fruit: Three-parted smooth husk containing 1 to 3 shiny brown fruits, mature in fall.
Twig: Stout, light-brown with raised lenticels, large opposite shield-shaped leaf scars, large pointed orange-brown buds are often paired at the ends of twigs.
Bark: Splotchy gray-brown, initially smooth but with size will develop scaly patches.
Form: Small, often multi-stemmed tree reaches heights of 15 to 25 feet.
Looks like: bottlebrush buckeye - painted buckeye - red horsechestnut

Additional Range Information: Aesculus pavia is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: 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