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Plant · P-1019
Red Buckeye
Aesculus pavia
Red Buckeye is a small, clump-forming deciduous tree or shrub that opens tall, upright spikes of tubular red to orange-red flowers in early spring before most other trees have leafed out, timed to greet migrating hummingbirds arriving for the breeding season. Its palmate leaves and smooth, rounded seed capsules give way in fall to shiny brown seeds that squirrels cache and eat, but every part of the plant - bark, leaves, flowers, fruit and seed - is toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. It grows best in part shade on moist, well-drained soil across a wide pH range, and can scorch in full sun during hot weather.
Record at a glance
Growing profile
- Sun
- Full Sun · Partial Sun · Shade
- USDA zone
- USDA 4–8
- Soil
- Sand · Loam · Clay
- Moisture
- Moist · Wet · Well-Drained
Vertical layer
Sub-Canopy- Soil pH
- 6–8
- Plant type
- Deciduous Tree
- Mature height
- 12–15 ft
- Mature spread
- 12–15 ft
- Plant spacing
- 12–15 ft
- Root type
- Tap
- Spread pattern
- Seed
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The deeper layer
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- Primary
- Locked ecological function
- Secondary
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- Byproduct
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Behind the record
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