Aesculus sylvatica

Common Names

Painted Buckeye, Dwarf Buckeye, Georgia Buckeye

Summary

Painted Buckeye is a deciduous shrub or small tree native to the southeastern United States, typically 6 to 15 ft tall with an open crown. It has opposite, palmately compound leaves with five leaflets and produces showy upright clusters of spring flowers in colors ranging from yellow to cream, sometimes with pink or red tones; fruits are smooth, three-parted capsules that open to reveal usually one to three brown seeds. The plant often grows as an understory specimen in mesic forests, tolerating shade while providing distinctive ornamental foliage and floral displays. Prefers rich, moist but well-drained soils in sun to partial shade, and tolerates chalk, clay, loam, and sand with acidic to neutral pH. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8. It is deer resistant and attractive to pollinators, with nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies. It serves well in woodland or naturalized landscapes as a shade-providing native plant and can be used for restoration projects, specimen plantings, and rain gardens; seeds are poisonous to humans.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

6-12 feet

Spread

6-12 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade; tolerates Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, and Full Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, moist (mesic) soil.

Soil pH

6.1-7.5, mildly acidic to neutral, Tolerates all soil pH levels

Bloom Color

Yellow to creamy, with pink or red in spring or early summer.

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green (upper surface green or yellow-green; lower surface green), with dark, glossy variants and seasonal changes to gold/yellow-green, orange, red, or burgundy

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, orange, and red (burgundy)

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Fast-growing

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Semi-ripe cuttings, Root suckers, Underground runners

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts hummingbirds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts other pollinators