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Aesculus glabra - Willd.

Common Name

Ohio Buckeye, Fetid Buckeye

Family

Hippocastanaceae

USDA hardiness

4-7

Known Hazards

The seed is rich in saponins. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour 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 food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some 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[K].

Habitats

Usually found in 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].

Range

South-eastern and Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Nebraska, south to Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Edibility Rating

(2 of 5)

Other Uses

(3 of 5)

Weed Potential

Medicinal Rating

(1 of 5)

Care (info)


(c) ken Fern, Plants For A Future 2010

(c) ken Fern, Plants For A Future 2010

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Summary

Bloom Color: Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded.

Physical Characteristics

Aesculus glabra is a deciduous Tree growing to 20 m (65ft 7in) at a medium rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs).
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed
Edible Uses:

Seed - cooked[222]. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, up to 35mm in diameter[82], and is easily harvested[K]. It is quite rich in saponins and needs to be leached of these toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the Indians 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].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Antispasmodic Miscellany

Minute doses of the seed are used internally in the treatment of spasmodic coughs, asthma and internal irritations[222]. It is used externally as a tea or an ointment in the treatment of rheumatism and piles[222]. An extract of the bark has been used as an irritant of the cerebro-spinal system[82].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Miscellany Soap Wood

Saponins in the seed are used as a soap substitute[169]. 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]. Wood - close-grained, light, soft, white, but often blemished by dark lines of decay[82, 229]. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot[235]. 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, 229, 235].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[1, 11]. This species is the state tree of Ohio[229]. Its growth-rate is moderate in the wild, with trees living up to 100 years[229]. In Britain, it grows best in eastern and south-eastern areas of England probably needing a continental climate in order to thrive[126, 200]. Although the trees are hardy when dormant, the new growth can be damaged by late spring frosts[11]. The twigs, bark, flowers and leaves all produce a foetid odour if crushed[229]. Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[11]. Special Features:Attractive foliage, North American native, Fragrant foliage, All or parts of this plant are poisonous, Blooms are very showy.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[11, 80]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[130]. 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, 113]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[130]. 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.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (Indiana, Michigan (south), Ohio, Pennsylvania (west), West Virginia (west), Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (east), Missouri, Nebraska (southeast), Oklahoma, Alabama (north), Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi (east), Tennessee, Texas)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it's worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Aesculus californica	Californian Buckeye, California Horsechestnut	Tree	12.0	6-10	M	LMH	N	DM	3	1	2
Aesculus chinensis	Chinese Horse Chestnut	Tree	25.0	5-9	S	LMH	SN	M	3	1	3
Aesculus flava	Sweet Buckeye, Yellow buckeye	Tree	20.0	4-8	M	LMH	SN	M	4	0	3
Aesculus hippocastanum	Horse Chestnut, European Horsechestnut, Common Horsechestnut	Tree	30.0	4-7	F	LMH	SN	DM	3	4	3
Aesculus indica	Indian Horse Chestnut	Tree	30.0	6-9		LMH	SN	M	3	1	3
Aesculus parviflora	Bottlebrush buckeye	Shrub	4.0	4-9	S	LMH	FSN	M	2	1	3
Aesculus pavia	Red Buckeye	Shrub	5.0	5-9	F	LMH	FSN	M	2	1	3
Aesculus spp	Horse chestnut	Tree	30.0	4-9	F	LMH	SN	DM	4	4	4
Aesculus turbinata	Japanese Horse Chestnut	Tree	20.0	5-7	M	LMH	SN	M	2	0	3
Aesculus x carnea	Red Horse Chestnut, Ruby Red Horsechestnut	Tree	25.0	5-7	S	LMH	SN	M	2	1	3

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.