Tree Categories: Fall Color Trees, Flowering Trees, Ornamental Trees, and Shade Trees
Mature Tree Height: 40-60 feet tall | Mature Tree Width: 30+ feet wide
Tree Growing Zones: Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, and Zone 7
The Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is a medium- to large-sized shade and ornamental tree. It is low-branching, has a dense branching system, a broad rounded oval crown, and palmately compound leaves with 5 leaflets that are one of the first to branch out in the spring. Its ornamental features include its green-yellow clustered flowers that emerge mid-spring and a nice display of fall foliage, sporting a bright orange-yellow canopy (varies based on the year) in autumn.
The Ohio Buckeye’s native range starts at the very western tip of Pennsylvania and stretches west down to eastern Texas. It gets its name from its fruit, a small dark brown nut with a tiny light brown patch (resembling a deer’s eye) that is incased in a rounded prickly capsule. The fruit is not particularly showy but is interesting when inspected up-close. This tree is a great option for a forested landscape or more remote yards. Not recommended as a street tree or to be planted near your house due to the litter it gives off (twigs, fruit, leaves). It does well in partial or bull sun and does not have a preference towards soil.
