Ohio Buckeye Tree Seeds | Aesculus glabra

The tree of Ohio. The original good luck charm. The one every Midwesterner knows.

Aesculus glabra, the Ohio Buckeye, is the state tree of Ohio and the tree that gave Ohio State University its athletic teams their name, producing the large, glossy, reddish-brown nuts enclosed in a spiny husk that Ohioans and Midwesterners have carried in their pockets as good luck charms for generations. It is a medium to large native hardwood of the Ohio River valley and Midwest that produces creamy yellow to pale green flower clusters in spring, develops a broad, rounded canopy of large, distinctive palmate compound leaves, and turns brilliant orange in fall in one of the most reliable and vivid fall color displays of any native Midwestern tree. If you are looking to buy Ohio Buckeye seeds or grow this native American tree from seed, this is the tree with more cultural identity attached to a single nut than any other tree in the eastern United States.

• Produces the glossy reddish-brown buckeye nuts that Ohioans and Midwesterners carry as good luck charms
• Creamy yellow to pale green flower clusters in spring attractive to hummingbirds and bumblebees
• Bold, palmate compound leaves creating tropical-looking summer foliage unique among native Midwestern trees
• Brilliant orange fall color, one of the earliest and most reliable fall color trees in the Midwest
• The state tree of Ohio and the cultural symbol of one of the most recognizable sports programs in college athletics

Things you probably did not know about the Ohio Buckeye

The nut is toxic to most animals but has been used medicinally by Indigenous peoples for centuries. The nuts and leaves of Ohio Buckeye contain aesculin and other glycosides that are toxic to horses, cattle, and humans if consumed in quantity. Despite this toxicity, the nuts were used by many Indigenous peoples of the Ohio Valley and Midwest in preparations for rheumatism and arthritis, ground and mixed with other substances as an external treatment. The toxicity does not prevent the nuts from being carried as good luck charms because the intact nut coat prevents absorption through skin contact.

The tree blooms so early in spring that it is often pollinated by hummingbirds before many bee species are active. Ohio Buckeye produces its flowers earlier in spring than most other native trees, at a moment when temperatures are still cool and many pollinating insects are not yet active. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that are beginning their northward spring migration through the Midwest are the primary pollinators during this early period, making Ohio Buckeye one of the most important early-season hummingbird nectar trees in the eastern US.

The leaves unfurl in spring before almost any other native hardwood in the Midwest. Ohio Buckeye is consistently the first native hardwood to show leaves in spring across the Midwest, leafing out weeks before oaks, maples, and most other native trees. This early leafing out exposes the new growth to late frost damage, and browning of new Buckeye leaves from late frost is a common sight in Midwestern springs. The tree regrows the damaged leaves from backup buds without lasting harm.

The Buckeye nut was the original good luck token of the American frontier. The practice of carrying a buckeye nut for good luck dates back to frontier settlements of the Ohio Valley in the 18th century, where the nuts were commonly found and the custom apparently originated with Indigenous peoples who attributed protective and medicinal properties to the nuts. The practice spread with Midwestern settlers and became deeply embedded in Ohio cultural identity, eventually attaching to Ohio State University athletics in the early 20th century.

Growing Details

• Botanical Name: Aesculus glabra
• Stratification: Required, 90 to 120 days cold moist stratification, recalcitrant seed, keep moist
• USDA Zones: 3 to 7
• Soil: Well-drained, moist, slightly acidic to neutral
• Light: Full sun to partial shade
• Height: 20 to 40 feet
• Spread: 20 to 35 feet
• Growth Rate: Moderate, 1 to 1.5 feet per year

Plant it where the fall color will be visible before most other trees begin to change and where the nuts can be collected in September. Give one to an Ohio State fan and watch what happens.