Red Buckeye

Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) in blossom. ©Vic Ramey UF/IFAS.

The red buckeye is a small, deciduous tree with tubular red flowers that attract hummingbirds. Reaching no more than 20 feet, it makes for a fine specimen in places too tight for larger trees.

It’s most popular for its springtime display of beautiful red flower clusters. But the red buckeye’s coarse, open structure and light brown, flaky bark also add appealing interest to what can otherwise be a dull winter landscape.

Red buckeye will do best in partial sun, and is fairly shade tolerant. It can thrive in a number of different soil types, and should be irrigated during dry times. To establish your red buckeye, plant it in the winter or early spring.

A word of caution: the seed pods are poisonous to humans.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants: Aesculus pavia Red Buckeye, Native to Florida
• Landscape Plants: Aesculus pavia, Red Buckeye
• Trees and Powerlines: Aesculus pavia (Red Buckeye)

UF/IFAS Publications

• Aesculus pavia: Red Buckeye

Also on Gardening Solutions

• Deadly Plants
• Hummingbird Gardens