Aesculus glabra
Willd.
Sapindaceae
Aesculus arguta Buckley
Aesculus buckleyi (Sarg.) Bush
Aesculus echinata Muhl.
Aesculus muricata Raf.
Aesculus ochroleuca Raf.
Aesculus ohioensis F.Michx.
Aesculus pallida Willd.
Aesculus rosea Loudon
Aesculus rubella Wender.
Aesculus rubicunda Lodd.
Aesculus verrucosa Raf.
Aesculus watsoniana D.Dietr.
Hippocastanum carneum Raf.
Hippocastanum glabrum buckleyi (Sarg.) Lunell
Hippocastanum rubicundum Raf.
Isypus ochraceus Raf.
Nebropsis glabra (Willd.) Raf.
Nebropsis muricata Raf.
Nebropsis ochroleuca Raf.
Nebropsis pallida (Willd.) Raf.
Nebropsis verrucosa Raf.
Ozotis trifoliata Raf.
Pavia arguta Raf.
Pavia carnea Spach
Pavia glabra Spach
Pavia pallida Spach
Pavia rubra arguta G.Don ex Loudon
Pavia watsoniana Spach
Pawia glabra Kuntze
Pawia pallida Kuntze
Pawia rubicunda Kuntze
Common Name: Ohio Buckeye
Tree growing in Århus, Denmark.
Photograph by: Isfisk
General Information
Aesculus glabra is a deciduous tree with a broad, oval-rounded crown; it usually grows from 6 - 12 metres tall, exceptionally to 22 metres[
352- Title
- KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.
Known Hazards
The plant is poisonous, containing the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. The symptoms include muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor - death has been known to result[
293- Title
- Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm
- Publisher
-
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes.
].
The seed is rich in saponins. Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish and make them easy to catch[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Botanical References
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Range
South-eastern and Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Nebraska, south to Tennessee and Oklahoma
Habitat
Usually found in rich, moist sites such as river bottoms and streambank soils, but it is sometimes also found on drier sites though does not grow so well there[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
Properties
Edibility Rating | |
Medicinal Rating | |
Other Uses Rating | |
Habit | Deciduous Tree |
Height | 10.00 m |
Pollinators | Insects |
Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Aesculus glabra is found in the continental climate of eastern N. America, where it grows mainly at lower elevations. It is found in areas where the mean annual temperature ranges from about 4 - 10°c; the mean minimum temperatures are not below -29°c, although -40°c has been recorded where it grows in Missouri and Iowa; maximum temperatures as high as 46°c have occurred in the western part of its range. The mean annual precipitation ranges from 760 - 1,400mm, with 510 - 640mm falling in the growing season and snowfall ranging from 5 - 102cm. About 160 days are frost-free in the northern part of the range and as many as 220 days in the southern part[
379- Title
- Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H.
- Website
- http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
]. Although the trees are very hardy when dormant, the new growth can be damaged by late spring frosts so the plant does less well in more maritime climates[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
Succeeds in full sun to partial shade[
352- Title
- KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
]. Prefers a deep loamy, moist but well-drained soil but is not too fussy[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
,
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
].
This species is the state tree of Ohio[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
]. Its growth-rate is moderate in the wild, with trees living up to 100 years[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
The twigs, bark, flowers and leaves all produce a foetid odour if crushed[
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
].
Seedlings quickly develop a taproot and larger plants can be difficult to transplant[
352- Title
- KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder
- Publication
-
- Author
-
- Website
- http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/
- Publisher
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- Year
- 0
- ISBN
-
- Description
- Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
].
Plants begin to produce seed when about 8 years old[
379- Title
- Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H.
- Website
- http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
].
Only those flowers near the base of the branches of an inflorescence are hermaphrodite and fertile. The others are male and infertile[
379- Title
- Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H.
- Website
- http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
].
Edible Uses
Seed - cooked[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-395-46722-5
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
]. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, up to 35mm in diameter[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
], and is easily harvested[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
]. It is quite rich in saponins and needs to be leached of these toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the native North Americans would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 - 5 days. By this time most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
Minute doses of the seed are used internally in the treatment of spasmodic coughs, asthma and internal irritations[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-395-46722-5
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
The seed is used externally as a tea or an ointment in the treatment of rheumatism and piles[
222- Title
- A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Foster. S. & Duke. J. A.
- Publisher
- Houghton Mifflin Co.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
- 0-395-46722-5
- Description
- A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
].
An extract of the bark has been used as an irritant of the cerebro-spinal system[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
].
Other Uses
Saponins in the seed are used as a soap substitute[
169- Title
- A Weavers Garden
- Publication
-
- Author
- Buchanan. R.
- Publisher
- McGraw-Hill Contemporary
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0934026289
- Description
- Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.
]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Wood - close-grained, light, soft, white, but often blemished by dark lines of decay[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
]. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot[
235- Title
- An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
- Publication
-
- Author
- Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-486-22642-5
- Description
- Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
]. It is easy to carve and resists splitting. Ideal to use in making artificial limbs, it is also used for woodenware, pulp etc and is occasionally sawn into lumber[
82- Title
- Manual of the Trees of N. America.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Sargent. C. S.
- Website
- http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/
- Publisher
- Dover Publications Inc. New York.
- Year
- 1965
- ISBN
- 0-486-20278-X
- Description
- Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
,
229- Title
- The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Elias. T.
- Publisher
- Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.
- Year
- 1980
- ISBN
- 0442238622
- Description
- A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
,
235- Title
- An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
- Publication
-
- Author
- Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
- Publisher
- Dover Publications. New York.
- Year
- 1970
- ISBN
- 0-486-22642-5
- Description
- Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
].
Propagation
Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[
11- Title
- Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Bean. W.
- Publisher
- Murray
- Year
- 1981
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
,
80- Title
- Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
- Publication
-
- Author
- McMillan-Browse. P.
- Publisher
- Grower Books
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-901361-21-6
- Description
- Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[
130- Title
- The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Royal Horticultural Society
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.
]. Seedlings develop a large taproot following germination and so, if grown in containers, should be given sufficient root room[
379- Title
- Silvics of North America. Agricultural Handbook No. 654.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Burns. R.M. & Honkala. B.H.
- Website
- http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/silvics_manual/table_of_contents.htm
- Publisher
- USDA Forest Service; Washington DC.
- Year
- 1990
- ISBN
-
- Description
- A very comprehensice guide to about 200 species of timber trees of N. America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Mainly temperate species, plus a number of tropical species. It is downloadable from the Internet.
]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[
80- Title
- Hardy Woody Plants from Seed.
- Publication
-
- Author
- McMillan-Browse. P.
- Publisher
- Grower Books
- Year
- 1985
- ISBN
- 0-901361-21-6
- Description
- Does not deal with many species but it is very comprehensive on those that it does cover. Not for casual reading.
,
113- Title
- The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W.
- Publisher
- Athens Ga. Varsity Press
- Year
- 1987
- ISBN
- 0942375009
- Description
- A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[
130- Title
- The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983.
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Royal Horticultural Society
- Year
- 1982
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Excerpts from the periodical giving cultivation details and other notes on some of the useful plants, including Distylium racemosum and some perennial members of the family Berberidaceae.
]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.