Red Buckeye

Scientific Nomenclature: Aesculus pavia

Common Names: red buckeye, firecracker plant

Mature Height: 15–25 feet

Mature Spread: 10–20 feet

Growth Rate: Moderate

Attracts Wildlife: Pollinators and hummingbirds

Messiness: Leaves drop in autumn. Showy, long groupings of flowers will emerge in early spring and drop by summer. Many 1–3-inch smooth, leathery fruits follow after the flowers in autumn and drop by winter. This plant is severely toxic to humans and most pets if ingested. DO NOT ingest or place in your mouth the bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, seeds or stems of this plant.

Shape: Round/Dense

Native to Kentucky: Yes (very small portions)

Preferred Soils: Red buckeye prefers moist well-drained neutral (6.0–8.0pH) soils. It tolerates a range of soil types including loam, clays, and sand as long as that soil contains high levels of organic matter.

Screening: Though not typically planted as a screening or privacy tree the red buckeye can be mass planted into a relatively messy, free growing hedge.

Drought Tolerance: Tolerates full sun well but is intolerant of drought or consistently dry soils.

Coniferous or Deciduous: Deciduous

Pruning: Does not require any regular pruning other than to remove deadwood or damaged branches. Can be pruned to maintain its appearance if it becomes too dense over time. If mass planted into a hedge, you may wish to prune it regularly to maintain a form or relative shape.

Following being planted as a sapling, over 20 years one red buckeye will:

• Sequester ~1,842 pounds of CO2.
• Reduce stormwater runoff by 322 gallons.