California buckeye
Aesculus californica

Family: Hippocastanaceae.

Type: Drought-deciduous (leaves are dropped in summer, not in fall) shrub to small tree.

Branching: Opposite (the "Buck" in "Mad Cap Buck").

Leaves: Palmately compound leaves.

Twig: Twigs remain fat all the way to their end, with very large buds.

Flower & Fruit: Fruits are very distinctive hanging yellow-green balls which are a nut covered by a leathery coating that eventually falls off of the fruit. The name "buckeye" comes from the appearance of the fruit, which can be dark brown with a light brown circular area on it that looks like a dark eye with an iris.

Miscellaneous: All parts of the buckeye are very toxic, including the flowers as well as the fruit. Honeybees die from the nectar of the flowers, and the Native Americans used to use the fruit to kill fish. Hippocastanaceae means horse chestnut, and the buckeye is sometimes called horse chestnut. The buckeye is typically found along creeks in oak woodland communities, in locations where a little more moisture is available, although it is not a true riparian species.





All photos and text ©2008 Ben Haller. Permission is granted to use and reproduce these photos for any non-commercial or non-profit use as long as this original copyright notice is retained.