Genus Aesculus (Buckeye, Horse chestnut)

Aesculus parviflora Photo/Illustration: Jennifer Benner

ESS-kew-lus

Common Name: Buckeye, Horse chestnut

Plants in the genus Aesculus are noted for their large, palmate leaves and showy white or reddish flowers. Large upright panicles of flowers with prominent stamens are borne in late spring to early summer, followed by smooth-skinned fruit with one to two seeds.
Noteworthy characteristics: Opposite, palmate dark green leaves turn yellow or red in autumn.
Care: Grow in fertile soil in sun to part shade. Needs minimal pruning.
Propagation: Graft in late winter or bud in summer. Propagate from suckers where applicable.
Problems: Prone to canker, leaf blotch, scale, and Japanese beetles. Anthracnose, rust, and powdery mildew can occur.

Species, varieties and cultivars for genus Aesculus

Aesculus parviflora
(Bottlebrush buckeye)

(1 user review)

Hardiness Zones:

Large palmate-leaved shrub with showy white 12-inch-tall blooms in summer, followed by smooth-skinned fruit. Leaves emerge bronze and turn yellow in autumn.

Aesculus parviflora var. serotina 'Rogers'
('Rogers' bottlebrush buckeye) Be the first to rate this plant

Hardiness Zones:

This is a suckering, deciduous shrub grown for it's white, bottlebrush-like flowers in early summer. The flowers are considerably longer than those of the species at up to 30 inches, and emerge a couple of weeks later. The shrub grows to 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide and prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Its layers of broad leaves turn gold in fall.Suitable for a medium to large garden.

Aesculus pavia
(Red buckeye)

(1 user review)

Hardiness Zones:

This conical shrub to small tree has palmate leaves and bears red (sometimes yellow-marked) flowers in 6-inch panicles in summer, followed by smooth-skinned fruit. The flowers attract hummingbirds.