A short Educational ecology article written by Solomon Doe - Author/Owner of Indigenous Landscapes
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Yellow Buckeye ( Aesculus flava ) is a PH generalist able to grow in alkaline as well as acidic soil whereas ( Aesculus glabra ) Ohio Buckeye specializes in soils of over 6.0 PH (weakly acidic) well into the alkaline range of 7.0+ PH. If you’re within the native range of both Ohio Buckeye and Yellow Buckeye you’re more likely to find Ohio Buckeye in near neutral to alkaline soils and Yellow Buckeye in Acidic soils. Yellow Buckeye is a true canopy tree, commonly reaching heights of over 70’ in a forest condition while Ohio Buckeye is more of a moderately shade tolerant midstory and edge tree that takes a canopy opening after trees fall; temporarily as other trees work on out-growing it again. Both species are very attractive to native bees when they bloom in mid spring, and they also attract the first hummingbirds to arrive from their northern migration.
Ohio Buckeyes in the midstory already in bloom before the canopy trees have leafed out. Pawpaws and Mayapples represent the bottom layer of this wood edge.
The Buckeye blooms are followed by nuts that are sought out solely by rodents who have evolved to be able to withstand the toxins of buckeyes that act as chemical defenses. Indigenous People in regions of California perfected a method of making the California Buckeye (Aesculus californica) into an edible flour, and it is not well known if Eastern North American Indigenous tribes did the same with Yellow Buckeye or Ohio Buckeye. Their process leached out the toxins in the California Buckeyes that Buckeyes are known for. The nuts may or may not be edible using this Indigenous method for California Buckeye processing. The resulting nut flour would need to be lab tested for toxins to verify if the Indigenous People's method used on California Buckeyes also works on eastern Buckeye species and to what degree do they need to be leached for the nuts to become safely edible. There’s a youtube video from a 1961 University recording of this method. You can youtube search: Nisenan (Maidu) Buckeyes: California Indians processed wild buckeyes, healthy food, 1961 to find it. But do not do this with eastern buckeye species if you’re not going to get the nut flour tested for remaining toxins to verify the effectiveness of this method.
An Ohio Buckeye sits atop a Redbud with fading blooms.
Judging by Gray Squirrel preference - Yellow Buckeye is more palatable to widlife than Ohio Buckeye as Yellow Buckeyes are the first nuts taken in the late summer vs. Ohio Buckeye. The spiky or bumpy husk separates Ohio Buckeye from the smoother husk of Yellow Buckeye. In their maturity Yellow Buckeye has large flakes of bark while Ohio Buckeye bark remains more smooth closer to the apperance of a Beech tree’s bark. Insect Pollinated trees such as Buckeyes, Tulip Tree, Linden, Black Gum, and Persimmon are capable of pumping out far more pollen and nectar compared to most wildflowers. Including insect pollinated trees in your landscape is a great decision even if it’s just a single one as a specimen tree. An aesthetic aspect to consider is that Buckeyes drop their leaves as early as late summer in response to drought or drier soil conditions. This doesn’t happen every year but it happens often enough to degrade its aesthetic value if you would judge them for it. Buckeyes have evolved to leaf out very early and get a lot of photosynthesis work complete in the first half of the year and as a possible consequence of that they often drop their leaves earlier in the season than other native trees.
Yellow Buckeyes have a columnar shape to their canopy best described as the shape as rocket. Where as Ohio Buckeyes are shorter and have a more rounded shade to their canopy.
Both of these Buckeye species prefer moderate to higher moisture soils so stick to deep soils over 40” in depth before hitting solid bedrock. Fall color is often insignificant. These two buckeyes are applicable to cooler aspect hillsides facing NW, N, NE, or E or flatter ground. Not recommended for house cooling due to late summer leaf droppings. Yellow Buckeye is typically 50’ to 80’ tall in columnar shape while Ohio Buckeye grows 30’-45’ tall in a rounded shape. If you’re lacking space, you can possible go for the thicket species; Bottlebrush Buckeye. While its native range is limited, it will still attract a hoard of pollinators in mid summer while hosting many of the same insect species that the tree-form of buckeyes do. Red Buckeye also has a limited native range, but attracts hummingbirds with red colored buckeye flowers wherever planted.
Stunning Yellow Buckeye blooms in the spring time, at Spring Grove Cemetery in Southwest Ohio.
Propagation Tips: Seeds mature and fall to the ground in the late-summer into fall. Outdoor stratify immediately after collecting in late summer through the winter healed into the ground in a rodent protected pot (utilize hardware cloth to seal the pot). In the late; sow the nuts 2 inches deep in a rodent protected set up. We recommend building a chicken wire enclosure to keep out squirrels. You also may have to control mice and chipmunks if you are to keep them from digging up the nut in the spring.
Shade Tolerances: Yellow Buckeye - 3.5/5. Ohio Buckeye - 3.5/5
When considering planting a native plant, always google search the scientific name aka latin name with the word “bonap” to look up its native range as reported by country records submitted to herbariums. If the plant is native within 100 miles of your location it will be more ecologically applicable than plants native further away. The further away a plant is native, often, the less ecologically applicable it becomes.