Description of Red Buckeyes

Size

• In its native habitat, red buckeye can potentially grow up to 30 feet tall. In cultivation the tree grows anywhere between 8 to 10 feet. The tree has an open canopy and is usually single stemmed. Red buckeye has a rounded, pyramidal mature form and is coarse textured. The tree grows at a moderate to fast pace, and the main branches start to grow low on the trunk.

Description

• Red buckeye has palmate, compound foliage measuring 5 to 10 inches across. There are five to seven serrated leaflets growing from 4- to 6-inch-long petioles. New leaves are velvety textured and purple green. The tubular red flowers grow on 4- to 10-inch-long terminal stems or spikes, referred to as racemes. The showy flowers are followed by 2- to 3-inch thin, walled capsules with one to three poisonous chestnut like seeds. The hard or dry fruit attracts squirrels.

Growth Requirements

• Plant red buckeye in an area receiving full to partial sun. Trees growing in the sun have a dense crown and also flower more abundantly, but will lose foliage at the end of summer instead of mid fall. The tree prefers a fertile loam with a neutral pH level and is tolerant of occasional flooding. Amend acidic soil with lime prior to planting. Red buckeye is hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 to 9. In colder regions, the flowers are affected by the late spring frosts. Red buckeye has a moderate level of tolerance for drought.

Care Suggestions

• Keep the area under the tree canopy free of grass to reduce competition and to avoid inadvertent injury to the trunk during mowing. It is best not the prune the tree to size, suggests the University of Florida Extension. However, prune only enough to keep the branches from touching each other. Remove any secondary branches that grow on the main branches. Minimize damage to the tree, as the red buckeye is highly prone to decay that's llikely to develop in injured sites and careless pruning cuts.