The Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is a medium-sized tree, reaching 50 to 60 feet in height and 18 to 20 inches in diameter with a short, limby trunk and a compact, rounded head. In Iowa the Ohio buckeye is found scattered in timber in mixture with other species in the southeastern and central parts, usually on moist, bottomland soils.
Hardiness: Zones 3 through 7
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Mature Shape: Pyramidal or elliptical when young, becoming rounded when mature
Height: 20-40 feet
Width: 20-35 feet
Site Requirements: Full sun; Not drought resistant. Need adequate moisture during drought, or leaf scorch may become a problem
Leaves: Opposite compound
Flowering Dates: March - April
Seed Dispersal Dates: September - October
Seed Bearing Age: 8 years
Seed Bearing Frequency: Yearly
Seed Stratification: Prechill for 4 months at 34°F to 40°F
The leaves are palmately compound, with the five individual leaflets much narrowed toward the base. They are light green and smooth above, yellowish green below and hairy along the veins. When crushed they have an unpleasant odor.
The fruit is large, rounded, fleshy tan husk dividing into two or three parts, covered with prickles or warts and enclosing one or two round, mahogany-brown shiny nuts with a prominent spot or eye on one end.
The twigs are reddish brown to ashy gray, upright, very stout, straight and coarse. The bark is ashy gray to gray-brown, breaking into irregular shallow plates covered with roughened scales.
