Virginia Tech Dendrology

Ohio buckeye Hippocastanaceae Aesculus glabra Willd. symbol: AEGL
Leaf: Opposite, palmately compound with 5 leaflets, oval to obovate leaflets are 3 to 6 inches long with a serrated margin, rachis about as long as leaflets, dark green above and paler below. Strong fetid odor when crushed.
Flower: Light yellow, in large, 4 to 7 inch, showy, upright clusters, stamens longer than petals, appear in spring.
Fruit: Prickly, leathery husk enclosing usually 1 smooth chestnut brown seed (1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Borne on a stout stalk and mature in fall.
Twig: Stout, with a large shield-shaped leaf scar; fetid odor when broken; terminal buds are large, orangish brown with keeled scales; opposite lateral buds are much smaller.
Bark: Initially smooth, ashy gray but later developing corky, scaly patches, becoming quite rough and darker gray.
Form: Upright, medium sized tree, 60 to 80 feet tall, 2 feet in diameter. Oblong crown with pendulous up turning branches.
Looks like: yellow buckeye - horsechestnut - red buckeye

Additional Range Information: Aesculus glabra 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 2025 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