Intro: A small, deciduous tree or shrub, commonly 1-5 m (3-16 ft.) tall. Bark of mature trunks is flaky. Winter buds are large, with terminal buds ranging from about 0.5-1 cm long or longer. Leaves are opposite and palmately compound, with 5 (occasionally 7), relatively large (8-20 cm long) leaflets. Leaflet margins are variously serrate. Flowers are borne on a prominent, terminal inflorescence. Flowers bear 4, long (1-3.7 cm.), cream, yellowish green or pink colored petals that form a tube-shaped corolla. Fruits consist of a 2-4 cm long, more or less spherical, tan or brown, leathery capsule. The capsule splits open revealing 1-3 (occasionally as many as 6) large, smooth, lustrous, dark brown seeds, each with a conspicuous light brown scar. Painted buckeye is one of the first trees in Piedmont forests to produce leaves and flowers in spring.

Stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or orange or reddish-brown, glabrous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars shield-shaped or triangular, bundle scars (3-)6-7(-9) per leaf scar, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks flaky. Buds axillary or terminal, reddish-brown, (4-)7-9(-13) mm long, ovoid, blunt or sharp, bud scales imbricate.

Leaves: Leaves deciduous, compound, once palmately compound, petiolate, opposite, 15-35 cm long, 15-35 cm wide. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrous or glabrate. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or pubescent, tomentose. Leaflets petiolulate or nearly sessile, 5(-7) per leaf, 8-20 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong or obovate or oval, leaflet margins serrate or serrulate or doubly serrate, leaflet apices acuminate, leaflet bases attenuate or cuneate or oblique, leaflet venation pinnate. Petioles 5-15 cm long, glabrous. Stipules absent.

Inforescence: Inflorescences terminal, panicles, flowers stalked.

Flowers: Flowers bisexual or unisexual or staminate, hypogynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 5 per flower, calyx tubes 6-15 mm long, ascending, red or yellow, oblong or ovate, sepal margins serrate, sepal apices rounded, pubescent, tomentose, caducous. Corolla asymmetric, tubular, apopetalous. Petals 4 per flower, 10-37 mm long, 3-10 mm wide, ascending, cream or pink or yellow-green, clawed or obovate or spatulate, petal margins ciliate, petal apices rounded, pubescent, caducous. Androecium. Stamens 6-7 per flower, separate, filaments 18-30 mm long. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation axile.

Fruits: Fruits capsules, 2-4 cm long, brown or tan, fruit maturation 1 years.

Comments: Capsules split open revealing 1 to 3 (rarely to 6) large, smooth, lustrous, dark brown seeds, each with a conspicuous light brown scar.

Height: 3-16 ft.

plant sale text: Painted buckeye's flowers vary from creamy white to pale yellow and pink. Its tubular flowers are quite showy for several weeks in the spring. The species' distinctive hand-shaped (palmate) foliage is attractive throughout the growing season. It is commonly found in the understory of moist woods. Though shade tolerant, best flowering occurs when grown in at least 3-4 hours of sunlight. It will produce root suckers but is not aggressive. This genus supports up to 32 lepidoptera species.

bloom table text:

description: A small, deciduous tree or shrub, commonly 1-5 m (3-16 ft.) tall. Bark of mature trunks is flaky. Winter buds are large, with terminal buds ranging from about 0.5-1 cm long or longer. Leaves are opposite and palmately compound, with 5 (occasionally 7), relatively large (8-20 cm long) leaflets. Leaflet margins are variously serrate. Flowers are borne on a prominent, terminal inflorescence. Flowers bear 4, long (1-3.7 cm.), cream, yellowish green or pink colored petals that form a tube-shaped corolla. Fruits consist of a 2-4 cm long, more or less spherical, tan or brown, leathery capsule. The capsule splits open revealing 1-3 (occasionally as many as 6) large, smooth, lustrous, dark brown seeds, each with a conspicuous light brown scar. Painted buckeye is one of the first trees in Piedmont forests to produce leaves and flowers in spring.

stems: Pith continuous. Young twigs (1-year-old or less) green or orange or reddish-brown, glabrous. Twigs (2-4 years old) glabrous. Leaf scars shield-shaped or triangular, bundle scars (3-)6-7(-9) per leaf scar, stipule scars absent. Bark of mature trunks flaky. Buds axillary or terminal, reddish-brown, (4-)7-9(-13) mm long, ovoid, blunt or sharp, bud scales imbricate.

leaves: Leaves deciduous, compound, once palmately compound, petiolate, opposite, 15-35 cm long, 15-35 cm wide. Leaf upper surface green or yellow-green, glabrous or glabrate. Leaf lower surface green, glabrous or pubescent, tomentose. Leaflets petiolulate or nearly sessile, 5(-7) per leaf, 8-20 cm long, 3-7 cm wide, lanceolate or oblong or obovate or oval, leaflet margins serrate or serrulate or doubly serrate, leaflet apices acuminate, leaflet bases attenuate or cuneate or oblique, leaflet venation pinnate. Petioles 5-15 cm long, glabrous. Stipules absent.

inflorescence: Inflorescences terminal, panicles, flowers stalked.

flowers: Flowers bisexual or unisexual or staminate, hypogynous. Perianth. Calyx radially symmetric, synsepalous. Sepals 5 per flower, calyx tubes 6-15 mm long, ascending, red or yellow, oblong or ovate, sepal margins serrate, sepal apices rounded, pubescent, tomentose, caducous. Corolla asymmetric, tubular, apopetalous. Petals 4 per flower, 10-37 mm long, 3-10 mm wide, ascending, cream or pink or yellow-green, clawed or obovate or spatulate, petal margins ciliate, petal apices rounded, pubescent, caducous. Androecium. Stamens 6-7 per flower, separate, filaments 18-30 mm long. Gynoecium. Ovaries superior, pistils 1 per flower. Gynoecium syncarpous, 3 carpels per flower, styles 1 per pistil, placentation axile.

fruits: Fruits capsules, 2-4 cm long, brown or tan, fruit maturation 1 years.

comments: Capsules split open revealing 1 to 3 (rarely to 6) large, smooth, lustrous, dark brown seeds, each with a conspicuous light brown scar.

cultural notes:

germination code:

native range: southeastern United States