Ohio Buckeye Tree

Meet Ohio’s official state tree: the Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra)! Its name comes from its shiny chestnut-brown nuts, which have a light-colored spot that resembles the eye of a male deer (a buck). Folklore suggests the “eye” can watch out for danger, ward off evil, and spot good fortune. Native American tribes and early settlers in the Ohio River Valley and Appalachia valued the nut as a protective talisman.

The nut from the Ohio buckeye tree may look tempting to collect, but don’t eat them! The nuts are toxic to people and pets.

The leaflets of the Ohio buckeye spread from a single point, like fingers on a hand.

The Ohio buckeye is native to Ohio and much of the central and eastern United States, making it well suited to the region’s climate. The tree offers something different in every season. In spring, it produces clusters of small, yellowish-green flowers that attract pollinators. Its broad leaves provide welcome shade in summer, then turn golden in autumn before dropping to reveal the tree’s branching silhouette. Watch for the spiky fruit capsules in late summer and fall, when they split open to reveal the smooth seeds inside. The Ohio buckeye typically develops a rounded to oval crown, with branches spreading outward to create a broad, leafy canopy. Its branching can be somewhat irregular, giving mature trees a natural, informal shape rather than a perfectly symmetrical silhouette. With hot and dry summer conditions, leaves can often drop much earlier than leaves on other deciduous trees, leaving the Ohio buckeye looking a little bare heading into autumn. 

Ohio buckeyes can grow about 20-40 feet tall; this tree - located near the southwest corner of Grandview Avenue and Goodale Boulevard (in Wallace Gardens) - demonstrates the species' mature height.