california buckeye
Aesculus californica
USDA zones7 to 8
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size15 to 30 feet tall15 to 30 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Habit
- Shrub
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, winter
- Bloom color
- Creamy white to pink
- Foliage color
- Red
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
California buckeye (Aesculus californica) is a tree for specimen planting, low maintenance gardens, and winter interest. It is hardy to USDA zone 7, or down to 0°F (-18°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to moist soil of most types. Deer tend to browse other plants first. Fragrant white to pink flowers open in panicles with orange stamens that stick out past the petals. Bees are poisoned by the nectar and pollen, so skip it if you want a bee plant.
Pairs well with Madrone, Desert willow, California poppy, and Stonecrop.
Native range
California.