Buckeye, Texas or White

The Texas Buckeye is now classified as a western, shrubby variety of Ohio Buckeye reaching its largest size (up to 50 feet) in the hard limestone of the central Edwards Plateau, although it also occurs in the northern Blacklands, Cross Timbers and Prairies, Pineywoods, and Post Oak Savannah. An ideal ornamental specimen for a small space, similar to Ohio buckeye but smaller in all parts. Its multi-trunked habit with an open spreading crown is considered landscape attributes. The Texas Buckeye is deciduous, thriving in part shade and moist, wet sand, limestone or granite soils of upland forests and is better adapted to hot, dry conditions than the Ohio Buckeye.

The LEAVES are opposite, palmately compound with seven to nine (sometimes eleven) leaflets, with long thin leafstalks. Leaflets are almost sessile, lanceolate, acuminate, unevenly serrate, 2.5-5 in long and 0.4-1.2 in wide, shiny yellow-green above, paler and hairy below. Tends to prematurely drop leaves in hot, droughty situations, due to leaf scorch and fungal diseases.

The FLOWERS are numerous in upright branched clusters 4-6 in long at ends of leafy branches, creamy white to pale yellow, somewhat bell-shaped, 0.5-0.8 inches long, blooming in May after the leaves appear.

FRUIT, rounded leathery capsule 1.2 in. diameter with blunt spines, has one to three large shiny seeds maturing in the fall. The SEEDS, 1-2 per fruit, are large, hard, shiny, dark brown or black with a large paler basal spot. These seeds are sometimes carried as good-luck charms.

The TWIGS are thick, red-brown, and hairy when young, with large triangular leaf scars. The BARK is smooth, light gray, becoming rough and scaly on older stems.

All parts of the plant are considered poisonous. See Buckeye, Horsechestnut.

Aesculus is an old European name for some mast-bearing tree; glabra refers to the smooth leaves. It was formerly considered the species A. arguta; that Latin species name, meaning sharp, referred to the sharply toothed leaflets. The common name of the genus is suggested by the large, rounded, dark brown seed with a white spot or scar at the base.