PlantFiles: Red Buckeye, Firecracker Plant
Aesculus pavia

I had seen red buckeye shrubs growing in the wild along a walking path. They were in full bloom at the time. I went back today to collect seeds. I could not find any on the ground but was able to harvest about a dozen from the plants. Should I have waited? The seeds are not open and I read that you should let them "mature " on the plant before taking them. Any info would be appreciated. What should I do with them at this point?

I only recently became familiar with the Red Buckeye as a result of my horticulture job with the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. There are several of the Red Buckeye trees growing in the native plant "Wild Florida" exhibit area. They are currently reaching their peak of bloom (March 3).

I gathered about 20 seeds from one of the trees at the zoo and am getting a few of them to germinate (expect more may germinate later). Most on-line sources I found suggested that the seeds needed to be cold-stratified (placed in a baggie of soil in the refrigerator for a few months). I was therefore surprised when I noticed a lot of seedlings around the parent tree. Our winters here are typically mild with only a few nights per year slightly below freezing. A coworker who has had a lot of experience in growing trees told me that cold-stratification is really only necessary if you want to store the seeds. It is best, as mentioned above, to gather them when they are fresh and plant them immediately.

I was able to transplant some of the seedlings from the parent plant. I put one in my garden and potted up others, most of which I plan to disperse at an upcoming DG Florida roundup. As mentioned above, most of the initial growth spurt is focused on creating a very long tap root. I had to dig down about 8 inches in order to not sever the tap root, even though the leaves on the plant were not much more than about 4 inches high. It may be best to just lay the seeds on top of the soil and not cover them much at all. I noticed that the seeds that had germinated and grown around the parent plant were mostly seeds barely covered, with most of the seed exposed above the soil line.

Jeremy

Here in South Louisiana, this is always the first deciduous shrub to leaf out (usually buds out in late January) but it is also the first to lose its leaves in the early fall. Still, it is quite attractive and is scaled well for smaller gardens.

Blooms when small. Attracts hummingbirds. A tough native tree for early spring color and wildlife value.

Red buckeye is an excellent plant for all the reasons mentioned above. The wonderful numerous red flowers early in the season; attractive to hummingbirds and insects; tolerant of a wide range of soils; not too big for most landscapes; all these are worth enough to use this plant more.

It doesn't have great fall color, and in fact tends to lose its leaves relatively early due to some foliar diseases in central KY heat and humidity. Use it toward the back of a mixed border planting rather than front and center as a specimen, and it won't let you down.

It has been pretty easy to germinate from seed. Key is to sow immediately and don't let the seed dessicate. Most buckeye seed needs to be treated this way for success. It will send out a root radicle in fall, and then new top growth occurs in spring. Flowering in second year is common.

Red Buckeye grows wild and somewhat prolific in the forest understory here in central Arkansas and puts on a nice show of red flowers in April.

On my rural property they are thriving quite well in light to somewhat heavy shade, and seem to tolerate a wide range of soil conditions, from rocky hillsides to wet (but not swampy) lowlands.

Even though this plant grows well in my area, it is virtually impossible to find locally. After trying to find one locally for 5 years I gave up and I finally ordered online as bare root plants. Since I ordered them during a very cold period and our ground was still frozen when they arrived I potted them up and they started to bud out within a week. I am looking forward to seeing them bloom for the first time. Very good plant for early spring blooms and for our hummingbirds.

Red Buckeye is a Florida native understory plant found in mostly the northern two thirds of the state. Makes for a nice flowering shrub and attracts hummingbirds.

The red buckeye tree is not easy to find, I had wanted one for a long time but could not locate one and one day I went to the nursery and there it was, waiting for me. I took it home 4 years ago and it is now 10 feet tall
and in bloom. I love this tree because it is one of the very few with red flowers and I love red. I am trying to propagate by seed but they are very hard. I have found that if I bury the seed half way and lay it on its side it sprouts a lot better. Wish me luck.

Very easy to grow from seed. Collect the buckeyes as the casings are breaking open or gather from the ground and plant while they are FRESH. Plant in well drained soil with about an inch of soil over the buckeye. You'll have a new shoot in the spring. This tree (or shrub) has a really deep tap root, so plant the seed where you want the tree or plant it out after one year in a pot.

I purchased my first one from a native plant sale when it was about the height of my index finger. It grows quite quickly into a lovely small tree and is usually the first flower for the hummingbirds - blooming in March in zone 7.

Grow in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, fertile soils. Can be grown from seed, and may flower as early as the second or third year.