Mexican buckeye

The Mexican Buckeye occurs mostly west of the Brazos River on the well drained limestone soils on stream banks of damp canyons in South, Central and West Texas, east to Dallas County. This plant may be used as a large, coarse multi-trunk shrub or trained into a small tree. Basal pruning in late spring will maintain the tree form. As it is a tall spreading plant it makes an attractive tall background shrub or deciduous screen.

The LEAVES differ from the buckeyes in the related genus Aesculus in having alternate, pinnate leaves with 5-7 leaflets, but the flowers and nuts are similar. it leafs out with light bronze colored leaflets which turn pale green during the growing season. Its fall color is bright golden yellow.

The FLOWERS are pink and bloom simultaneously as it leafs out. In its spring flowering period it somewhat resembles eastern redbuds but with less dense flowering.

The Mexican Buckeye’s round black somewhat shiny SEEDS are contained within a coarse, dark brown 3 valved capsule which somewhat resembles buckeye (Aesculus spp.) seeds. However, the two species are not related. Mexican buckeye’s seeds are poisonous. The sweetish but poisonous seeds are sometimes used by children as marbles (this is highly discouraged!). Livestock seldom browse the toxic foliage, but bees produce fragrant honey from the flowers.