Red buckeye is a small, deciduous tree or shrub in the maple family (Sapindaceae) that may grow 15 to 25 feet tall. It is native to coastal and Piedmont areas in NC. It is quite ornamental in spring when tubular, red flowers appear in 6 to 8 inch upright clusters that last for about a month and attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Flowers are followed by 1 to 3 shiny brown seeds contained in a three-parted smooth husk which can be numerous. The fruit is not edible by humans but squirrels love them. The attractive palmate leaves turn red and usually fall by the end of September. Red buckeye prefers partial shade in moist well-drained soil. It will tolerate full sun but may experience leaf scorch in the heat of summer, is pH adaptable, and will grow in a variety of soil types. Place this plant in a mixed area where its spring flowers will shine but because it tends to drop its leaves early, other plants will mask this. Use this plant in woodland or naturalized areas, as a specimen, along ponds and streams, or in a wildlife garden. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Leaf blotch can be a problem for this plant. Leaf, stem, and fruit drop can be messy. VIDEO: Part of the Native Plant Picks series from the North Carolina Sea Grant led Coastal Landscapes Initiative .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Palmately compound leaves have 5, sometimes 7, leaflets that are 4-8 inches long and 2-4 inches wide. Leaflets are oblong-obovate to elliptic, acuminate, cuneate, serrate, dark green above, glabrous or slightly tomentose beneath.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Showy, erect, 6-10” long panicles of red to orange-red tubular flowers in early spring. Individual flowers are 1-1.5 inches long fused tubes with 4-5 petals at the tips, glandular at margins; calyx tubular-campanulate; stamens exserted. Blooms from March-April.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
1-3 inch wide smooth, light tan leathery capsule with 1-3 large, shiny, brown seeds each with a pale scar.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Its bark is splotchy, gray-brown and initially smooth but with size will develop scaly patches.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Green
Stem detail
Stout, olive-brown, with raised brown lenticels.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
USA , NC
Distribution
AL , AR , FL , GA , IL , KY , LA , MO , MS , NC , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA , WV
Wildlife value
Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and pollinators feed on nectar from flowers in the early spring. The seeds are eaten by squirrels.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Capsule
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Naturalized Area; Pond; Riparian; Woodland
Landscape theme
Butterfly Garden; Pollinator Garden; Rain Garden
Design feature
Flowering Tree; Hedge; Specimen
Garden tags
#flowering tree #deciduous #honey bees #hummingbird friendly #rain garden #nectar plant #small tree #poisonous #full sun tolerant #shrub #fantz #pollinator plant #native garden #Braham Arboretum #NC native #deer resistant #native tree #messy #stream banks #specimen #spring interest #small mammals #butterfly friendly #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #nectar plant early spring #partial shade tolerant #nectar plant mid-spring #bee friendly #wet soils tolerant #highly beneficial coastal plants #riparian #NC Native Pollinator Plant #hedge #wildlife friendly #collier preserve tn #cpp #woodland #HS304
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Messy; Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Resistant to
Deer; Wet Soil
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Fire risk
low flammability
Poison severity
High
Poison parts
Bark; Flowers; Fruits; Leaves; Seeds; Stems
Poison symptoms
Poisonous if ingested. Highly toxic, may be fatal if eaten. Symptoms may include muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.