Native Plant Database

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Leaf Retention: Deciduous
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Palmate
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate
Leaf Venation: Pinnate
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Leaf Margin: Dentate
Inflorescence: Panicle
Size Notes: Height 15-40 feet, spread 30-60 feet.
Leaf: Red
Flower: Flower about 1/2 inch across.
Fruit: 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches long.
Size Class: 12-36 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Pinkish-white blooms.

Distribution

USA: CA
Native Distribution: Through CA Coast Ranges & Sierra Nevada to Los Angeles & Kern Cos.
Native Habitat: Dry canyons, gullies & wooded slopes
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry
CaCO3 Tolerance: Low
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Poor, dry soils.
Conditions Comments: California buckeye drops its leaves in July or August, but if given ample moisture it will hold them into fall. The shrub does not respond well to humidity and high night temperatures.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: The only native buckeye in the West, this species is sometimes grown as an ornamental.
Use Wildlife: Chipmunks and squirrels consume the seeds, but bees are poisoned by the nectar and pollen.
Use Food: California Indians made flour from the poisonous seeds after leaching out the toxic element with boiling water.
Use Other: Ground, untreated seeds were thrown into pools of water to stupefy fish, which then rose to the surface and were easily caught. Wood used by indigenous Californians to make fire drills and hearths.
Warning: Seeds are poisonous to humans if eaten. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size. Toxicity can vary in a plant according to season, the plant’s different parts, and its stage of growth; and plants can absorb toxic substances, such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants from the water, air, and soil.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes

Butterflies and Moths of North America (BAMONA)

Aesculus californica is a larval host and/or nectar source for:

Sequoia sphinx (Sphinx sequoiae) Food Source Learn more at BAMONA

Propagation

Propagation Material: Seeds , Softwood Cuttings
Description: Fall-sown seeds germinate easily without pretreatment.
Seed Collection: Seeds dry and shrivel quickly.
Seed Treatment: Not Available
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 1186 - Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America (2005) Covell, C.V., Jr.
Bibref 1185 - Field Guide to Western Butterflies (Peterson Field Guides) (1999) Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Aesculus californica in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Aesculus californica in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Aesculus californica