Red Buckeye
Encyclopedia
Aesculus pavia, known as Red Buckeye or Firecracker Plant, is a species of deciduous
flowering plant
. The small tree or shrub is native to the southern and eastern parts of the United States
, found from Illinois
to Virginia
in the north and from Texas
to Florida
in the south.
It has a number of local names, such as scarlet buckeye, woolly buckeye and firecracker plant.
The Red Buckeye is a large shrub
or small tree
. It reaches a height of 5–8 m, often growing in a multi-stemmed form. Its leaves are opposite, and are usually composed of five elliptical serrated leaflets, each 10–15 cm long. It bears 10–17 cm long clusters of attractive dark red tubular flowers in March, April and May. The flowers are hermaphrodite
. The smooth light brown fruits, about 3 cm in diameter, reach maturity in September and October.
There are two varieties
:
The yellow-flowered variety, var. flavescens, is found in higher country in Texas, and hybrids with intermediate flower color occur.
The flowers are attractive to hummingbird
s as well as bee
s. The fruits are rich in saponin
s, which are poisonous to humans, though not particularly dangerous because they are not easily ingested. The oils can be extracted to make soap
, though this is not commercially viable.
Ornamental cultivar
s such as the low-growing 'Humilis' have been selected for garden use.
Red Buckeye has hybridized with Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) in cultivation, the hybrid being named Aesculus × carnea
, Red Horse-chestnut. The hybrid is a medium-sized tree to 20–25 m tall, intermediate between the parent species in most respects, but inheriting the red flower color from A. pavia. It is a popular tree in large garden
s and park
s, most commonly the selected cultivar
'Briotii'. Hybrids of Red Buckeye with Yellow Buckeye
(A. flava) have also been found, and named Aesculus × hybrida.
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
. The small tree or shrub is native to the southern and eastern parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, found from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
to Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
in the north and from Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in the south.
It has a number of local names, such as scarlet buckeye, woolly buckeye and firecracker plant.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
or small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
. It reaches a height of 5–8 m, often growing in a multi-stemmed form. Its leaves are opposite, and are usually composed of five elliptical serrated leaflets, each 10–15 cm long. It bears 10–17 cm long clusters of attractive dark red tubular flowers in March, April and May. The flowers are hermaphrodite
Hermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
. The smooth light brown fruits, about 3 cm in diameter, reach maturity in September and October.
There are two varieties
Variety (biology)
In botanical nomenclature, variety is a taxonomic rank below that of species: as such, it gets a three-part infraspecific name....
:
- Aesculus pavia var. pavia: typical Red Buckeye.
- Aesculus pavia var. flavescens: yellow-flowered Red Buckeye.
The yellow-flowered variety, var. flavescens, is found in higher country in Texas, and hybrids with intermediate flower color occur.
The flowers are attractive to hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
s as well as bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s. The fruits are rich in saponin
Saponin
Saponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...
s, which are poisonous to humans, though not particularly dangerous because they are not easily ingested. The oils can be extracted to make soap
Soap
In chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
, though this is not commercially viable.
Ornamental cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s such as the low-growing 'Humilis' have been selected for garden use.
Red Buckeye has hybridized with Common Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) in cultivation, the hybrid being named Aesculus × carnea
Aesculus × carnea
Aesculus × carnea or Red Horse Chestnut is an artificial hybrid between the Red Buckeye and the Common Horse Chestnut . The origin of the tree is not known, but it probably first appeared in Germany before 1820...
, Red Horse-chestnut. The hybrid is a medium-sized tree to 20–25 m tall, intermediate between the parent species in most respects, but inheriting the red flower color from A. pavia. It is a popular tree in large garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
s and park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
s, most commonly the selected cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
'Briotii'. Hybrids of Red Buckeye with Yellow Buckeye
Yellow Buckeye
Yellow Buckeye is a species of buckeye native to the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing to 20–47 m tall...
(A. flava) have also been found, and named Aesculus × hybrida.
