Aesculus flava Solander. Common name: Yellow Buckeye, Sweet Buckeye. Phenology: Late Apr-mid Jun; Aug-Sep. Habitat: Moist forests, up to nearly 2000 m, especially prominent in seepy cove forests, in the Piedmont only in ‘montane’ habitats. Distribution: A broad Southern Appalachian endemic: sw. PA, s. OH, s. IN, and s. IL south through KY, WV, sw. VA, and TN to n. AL, n. GA, nw. SC, and w. NC.
ID notes: Aesculus flava is one of the largest, most massive, and commonly encountered trees in Southern Appalachian coves, recognizable in winter by the bark of large plate-like slabs, thick twigs, and massive form. Additionally within coves, individuals of A. flava are often readily distinguishable at a glance due to the proportionately higher abundance of corticolous mosses present on their trunks (e.g. Pseudanomodon attenuatus, Forsstroemia trichomitria, and Neckera pennata).
Origin/Endemic status: Endemic
Taxonomy Comments: Meyer & Hardin (1987) discussed the nomenclatural issues relating to the names ‘A. flava’ and ‘A. octandra’.
Synonymy ⓘ: = C, FNA13, Il, K4, Pa, Tn, Va, W, Du, Harris, & Xiang (2020); = Aesculus octandra Marshall — F, G, RAB, Hardin (1957a), Hardin (1957b); = n/a — Tat; < Aesculus octandra Marshall — S, S13. Basionym: Aesculus flava Sol. 1778
Links to other floras: = Aesculus flava - FNA13
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
- Midwest: FACU
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU
Heliophily ⓘ: 3
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© Keith Bradley | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Bruce A. Sorrie | Original Image ⭷
© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Grant Morrow Parkins | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷
© Richard & Teresa Ware CC-BY-NC, permission granted to NCBG | Original Image ⭷Feedback
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Horticultural Information
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Height: 50 to 75 ft.
plant sale text: Yellow buckeye thrives in the rich moist soils of Appalachian coves, where it is most commonly found. If grown in good soil, it can make a wonderful, unusual specimen tree; it can also adapt well to urban sites. Large showy panicles of yellow flowers give way to fist-sized capsules enclosing lustrous brown seeds. In fall the leaves turn yellow-orange. Some consider it good luck to carry a seed or buckeye in their pockets. The term buckeye comes from the whitish scar found the seed, giving it the appearance of a deer's eye. This genus supports up to 32 species of lepidoptera.
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cultural notes: Wood from the tree was used for artificial limbs before better materials were available.
germination code:
native range: eastern United States
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