As I was taking my walk along the Swan Creek Greenway, a nice woman stopped me and asked if I had ever seen a buckeye. I can honestly say up until that point, a buckeye for me was an Ohio State University fan. I never really gave any thought about what a buckeye actually was, or looked like.

She proceeded to point out a tree that had the prettiest little bell-like, red flowers. She then told me after the flowers die off, the tree will produce nuts. We talked a little more, and after she left, I asked my husband what exactly was the mascot for Ohio State. He said it looks like a nut and then pulled a picture up so I could see it.

Turns out, it is indeed a nut, on a body, named Brutus. My high school mascot is a Bambi, which I always thought a little odd, but a nut named Brutus in a Freddie Kruger shirt takes the win for oddest mascot.

Buckeyes are of the genus Aesculus, six of which are native to North America. What was pointed out to me was Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia, of the soapberry family, also commonly called Firecracker Plant. It is a small, attractive tree, generally growing to a height of under 25 feet, usually only reaching a height of approximately 10 feet. It is native to the southeast from Virginia to western Florida, and as far west as Louisiana.

It is a deciduous tree that produces upright clusters of small red flowers that attract hummingbirds and bees. Blooms are evident from March through May and produce a brown shiny seed that looks more like a nut with a tan “eye” that resembles a deer eye, giving the plant its name. The nuts are encapsulated in a spiky green husk until they fall from the tree in September and October.  

Red Buckeye does best in partial sun, not doing well in full sun or full shade, but tolerating most soil conditions. They do not tolerate drought well and require watering during these times. Buckeyes can be grown from cuttings or from seed.  

The seed of the red buckeye, being poisonous, cannot be eaten. However, legend has it that carrying a buckeye seed in your pocket is good luck.  

The Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora, is a large shrub native to Alabama and Georgia. It bears fluffy white flowers on 1-foot long spikes. This shrub will grow rather large, 8 to 12 feet in height and 12 to 15 feet wide. It is often used in understory planting as a hedge, screen or as a specimen plant. It does not tolerate drought and blooms on old wood, requiring yearly pruning of old branches.

Yellow Buckeye, Aesculus flava, although most common to the Ohio Valley, it is also found in the Southern Appalachians of Tennessee and northern Alabama. It grows extremely well along river banks and can reach heights of 80 to 100 feet. It produces clusters of yellow flowers on 6-inch long stems similar to the blooms of the red buckeye.  

If you haven’t gotten a chance, take a stroll down the walking path and check out the wild, native buckeyes giving our corner of the world some welcome color. Until next week, happy gardening.

— Irland, a member of the Limestone County Master Gardeners, can be reached at kippirland@hotmail.com. Visit http://mg.aces.edu/limestone for more information on the Limestone County Master Gardeners.