Painted Buckeye (Aesculus sylvatica)Horse Chestnut FamilyPainted Buckeye produces striking, upright clusters of creamy white to pale yellow flowers, often with a hint of pink or red at the base. These blooms, which are about 4 to 6 inches long, create a visually appealing contrast against the tree’s dark green foliage. The flowers are followed by leathery, green seed capsules that eventually turn brown as they mature and release shiny, brown seeds. Fruit is rapidly consumed by small mammals, usually squirrels. These are some of the first shrubs to leaf out in the spring, and are often one of the first to go dormant--sometimes in late summer. Naturally found in low lying areas on forests edge or on roadside cuts, this shrub appreciates a little extra moisture in the soil, but will do fine in average soil as long as it doesn't get too much sun. Painted Buckeye is is a host plant for over 30 species of lepidoptera. Blooms: Yellow/Pink, 2-3 weeks, Mar-Apr.Leaves: Palmate leaves up to 6” long are red when first emerging, drops leaves in late summer/early fallHeight: 10-20'Space: 6-10'Soil: Moist-Average Exposure: Part sun-Part shade Fauna: Hummingbirds, butterflies, seeds for mammals, host plant to dozens of lepidopteraSeeds:Large, tan, leathery capsules hold shiny brown seedsDeer Resistance: HighZone: 6-8Native Status: NC native, common in the Piedmont, uncommon in the Coastal Plain, rare in the MountainsProvenance: NC, seed grown
