Scientific name:

Aesculus californica
Common name:

California Buckeye
California Buckeye is a deciduous, small tree, normally growing to 15'. The showy 6" creamy- scented flower spikes appear in AprilMay. Native to the central Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada Mountains in partial shade to full sun, tolerant to drought but needs regular water for the first few years. The pear-like fruits are poisonous, and they were used as fish poison by the Pomo, Yana, Yokut and Luiseno peoples (Kroeber, 1925). Although the nuts have no taste to indicate toxicity, they were also ground and leached under running water for three days, then cooked into a gruel as an emergency food supply. Toxic to nonnative bees, native bees and butterflies seem to like it. You will see this tree in a few spots along the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Coast Ranges normally next to a spring, creek or other source of moisture. In the garden it will go deciduous early if it gets dry. It tolerates clay, serpentine and seasonal flooding. It is great for a butterfly garden. The foliage color is green and type is deciduous. The flower color is white and has a fragrance. Communities for Aesculus californica: Coastal Sage Scrub, Mixed-evergreen Forest, Riparian (rivers & creeks) and Central Oak Woodland.

Leaf is Palmate shaped

NativeGroveinSierraFoothillssummer

Landscapesettingwithspringflowers
Seed pod