Aesculus flava
Yellow Buckeye
Mature Size, Growth, Longevity
Average mature size of 60-75' tall and 40' wide. Upright-oval to slightly spreading crown. Medium growth rate.
Native Range
Kentucky Native — Pennsylvania to Tennessee, northern Alabama, and northern Georgia, west to Ohio and Illinois. Introduced 1764.
Flower and Fruit Details
Flowers are yellow with a tinge of green, borne in erect 6-7" long, 2-3" wide panicles, in May. Fruit is a smooth, pear-shaped, 2-3" long capsule, usually containing two brown seeds; each seed having a single white spot.
Leaf and Bark Features
Leaves opposite, palmately compound with generally 5 leaflets, each leaflet 4-6" long, oblong, finely serrate. Leaf top dark green. Leaf underside is yellow green and pubescent when young, essentially glabrous & glaucous at maturity. Petiole 3-4" long. Bark is gray and brown, with large, flat, smooth plates and scales comprising old trunks.
Culture and Care
Prefers a deep, moist, well-drained soil. Quite common in mixed deciduous woods from riverbottoms to mountain tops. Zones 4-8.