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Ohio Buckeye

Aesculus glabra

Also listed as Nebropsis glabra

Also known as Buckeye, American Buckeye, Stinking Buckeye

tree☀️ full sun💧💧 moderate water❄ Hardy: Zone 3b – Zone 7b

Climate Match for your location

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A native North American tree prized for its early yellow-green flowers and distinctive round buckeye nuts. It develops attractive yellow fall foliage and works well as a shade or specimen tree.

Why grow it

Ohio buckeye offers early spring interest with creamy to greenish-yellow flowers and reliable yellow fall color in a native deciduous shade tree. Compared to other Aesculus species, it is smaller (typically 20-40 feet) and suits woodland gardens or naturalized landscape areas where its somewhat messy fruit drop is acceptable. It supports wildlife and pollinators, making it a reasonable alternative to non-native ornamental trees in appropriate regions.

Watch out for

This tree has a taproot system and is very difficult to transplant, so site selection should be made with long-term placement in mind. Ohio buckeye is prone to leaf scorch in full sun, drought conditions, or windy sites, so part-shade and consistent soil moisture support better establishment. The flowers, bark, and stems release an unpleasant odor when crushed, and the copious fruit litter can present maintenance challenges near hardscapes.

Overview

Form
Rounded
Growth Rate
moderate
Size
20–68′ tall × 20–40′ wide
Dormancy
deciduous
Family
Sapindaceae
Windbreak

Native to the United States

Native Range

Midwestern and Eastern United States

Native to: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia

Seasonality

Bloom Season

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Season of Interest

SpringFall

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Companion Planting

Plants well with