Bottlebrush Buckeye
Arbor Walk #89
Bottlebrush Buckeye is not native to Missouri but is very adaptable to the St. Louis Region. It is a multiple stem understory small tree or large shrub which colonizes by suckering, which means a shoot arises underground from the roots. It flowers in late Spring with bottlebrush shaped inflorescences containing hundreds of small white flowers. It produces 1″ to 3″ long pear shaped, light brown capsules which contain one or more light brown seeds. This fruit, however, is poisonous to humans. Leaves turn a butter yellow color in the Fall.
Carl Linnaeus named the genus of this species after the Roman word for edible acorns, but these fruits are not edible and not in the same family as the acorn-producing oaks. This woody plant in particular does provide food for many species of hummingbirds and the Eastern swallowtail butterfly, Papilio glaucus, though.
| Common Name | Bottlebrush Buckeye |
|---|---|
| Latin Name | Aesculus parviflora |
| Indigenous Name(s) | |
| Cultivar/Variety | |
| Commercial Name |
Global Distribution
GPS Coordinates
N/A
Percent Concrete
N/A
Distance to Buildings
| Year | Close Building #1 | Close Building #2 | Close Building #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Distance to Other Species
| Year | Close Species #1 | Close Species # 2 | Close Species # 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
Standard Measurements
| Year | Height (m) | DBH (cm) | Caliper (m) | Crown Diameter N-S (m) | Crown Diameter E-W (m) | Average Crown Diameter (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 3.5 | 3.5/13 | N/A | 2.4 | 3.1 | 2.75 |
Nests and Pests
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2023 | N/A |
Leaf Identification
The leaves of the Bottlebrush Buckeye are palmately compound with 5 to 7 leaflets, and the leaflets are typically 4″ to 8″ long and 1″ to 4″ wide, each with a long tapering off-center tip. The margins are crenated to serrated, and the venation is pinnate. The underside is pubescent. They are usually a medium to dark green but turn buttery yellow in the fall. The leaf arrangement is opposite.
Twig and Bud Identification
The twigs of the Bottlebrush Buckeye are grayish-brown with raised lenticels. The leaf scars are heart-shaped. The buds are orangeish-brown with gray pubescence and have many scales.
Bark Identification
The Bottlebrush Buckeye has smooth bark with lenticels.
Fruit Identification
The Bottlebrush Buckeye has smooth, pear-shaped capsules (buckeyes) that is covered with bright yellow husk. They ripen in fall but are not edible.
Flower Identification
The flowers of the Bottlebrush Buckeye are white, bottlebrush-shaped clusters. They are 6″ to 24″ long panicles.
