Painted buckeye is a small, deciduous tree in the maple family (Sapindaceae) that is native to the southeastern USA. In NC it is found in the Piedmont in mesic, nutrient-rich forests, on bottomlands, lower slopes, and in ravines. Also in the Coastal Plain primarily on floodplains and in the Mountains only at low elevations. It will grow 10-20 feet high in a shrub or tree form. It does best in sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil and is intolerant of dry soils. It will grow 10-20 feet tall and spread 6-15 feet wide. Painted buckeye leafs out early in March-April with attractive palmate leaves that may start out reddish. It usually drops its leaves by September. Flowers are showy in upright clusters of usually greenish-yellow but sometimes pink or red. Give this tree a moist but well-drained site and some afternoon shade in a woodland or naturalized area. Insects, Diseases, or Other Plant Problems: Potential disease problems include powdery mildew, rust, and anthracnose. Potential insect problems including bagworms, Japanese beetles and borers. Leaf scorch (edges brown up) may occur in droughty conditions or on sites exposed to strong wind.
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.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Multi-stemmed; Open; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Palmately compound leaves have 5 leaflets that are oblong-obovate, 4-6 inches long, 1.5-2 inches wide and tapering at apex and base. They may open reddish and change to yellow-green with yellow to orange midveins and green undersides. Margins are serrated and sometimes doubly serrated. They are pubescent when young and smooth when mature. The tree leafs out early and drops its leaves early.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Gold/Yellow; Green; Pink; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Bell
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Flowers occur in panicles 5-8 inches long and have both bisexual and male flowers in each cluster with male flowers located near the base. Bloom time starts March-April. Bell-shaped flowers are yellow, yellow-green, cream, pink or even red. Individual flowers are 1-1.5 inches long.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Fruit is 1-1.5 inches, three-parted, smooth husk, containing usually 1 chestnut brown seed but up to 3. Mature in late summer.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Its bark is a light gray-brown and smooth, mottled looking.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Stout, light brown or gray, with raised lenticels, large opposite shield-shaped leaf scars, large pointed orange-brown buds.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Southeastern North America
Distribution
AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA
Wildlife value
Hummingbirds feed on the nectar from the flowers in the spring. Squirrels eat the seeds. Attract butterflies. Moderately resistant to deer.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Pollinators; Small Mammals