Red Buckeye
Aesculus pavia
Family Sapindaceae
Timed to the minute: red buckeye's scarlet flower spikes open just as ruby-throated hummingbirds return from migration, offering exactly the nectar they arrive starving for. For a few weeks each spring, this small native tree is the busiest restaurant in the yard.
At 12-20 ft with bold, almost tropical leaves, it fits a woodland edge or part-shade yard without ever outgrowing its welcome. The glossy buckeyes it drops are handsome but strictly ornamental — this is not the edible chestnut — so site it with pets in mind and plant it for the hummingbirds.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Slow-Moderate growth
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing red buckeye? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries red buckeye — Aesculus pavia, print Nº 393, “Red Buckeye.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what red buckeye actually needs.
Hardy inZones 4-8Red Buckeye · Common problems
Common red buckeye problems
Pests
1 problem on file
- Almost none
Diseases
1 problem on file
- Leaf Blotch (cosmetic, late)
Red Buckeye · Growing & propagation
Growing red buckeye
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- None
Pruning- After flowering
A small native understory tree whose red flower spikes bloom exactly when ruby-throated hummingbirds return north — a crucial early nectar source built for their bills. Handsome palmate leaves. Goes dormant early (drops leaves in late summer), which is normal. The shiny buckeye nuts are toxic, so site away from where kids or livestock forage.
Spacing- 10-15 ft
How to plant & propagate red buckeye
- Propagate
- Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering
Red Buckeye · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Red Buckeye · Yearly calendar
The red buckeye year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
Bloom
HarvestBloomApril
HarvestSeptember to November
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
- Harvest — picking time — check ripeness every few days.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Red Buckeye · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Aesculus pavia
Red Buckeye in the garden system
- Understory layer tree
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Hummingbirds, Bees
Habitat- Woodland
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
What red buckeye is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesNuts and shoots TOXIC — the buckeye is not an edible nut
- Use
- Hummingbird tree
- Use
- Woodland edge
- Use
- Native ornamental
Harvesting & storing red buckeye
Buckeye nuts in fall (TOXIC — not edible).
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Red Buckeye · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a red buckeye variety
Species; 'Atrosanguinea' (deeper red)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
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Red Buckeye
Aesculus pavia
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Aesculus pavia
- Plant family
- Sapindaceae
- Growth habit
- Tree · Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- AEPA
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Red Buckeye questions, answered straight.
Is red buckeye safe for kids and pets?
With care. Nuts and shoots TOXIC — the buckeye is not an edible nut Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest red buckeye?
Buckeye nuts in fall (TOXIC — not edible).
How do you propagate red buckeye?
Seed (stratify), cuttings, or layering.
Elsewhere
Where red buckeye sits in the library.
Spicebush
Sweetbay Magnolia
Fringe Tree
Sourwood