Sweet Buckeye, Yellow buckeye

Aesculus flava

Physical Characteristics

Aesculus flava is a deciduous Tree growing to 20 m (65ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Distribution

Eastern N. America - Pennsylvanica to Tennessee and west to Ohio.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Nectar Seed Edible Uses: Seed - cooked. Said to be as sweet as a chestnut[105, 177]. We have only eaten the immature seed, harvested in late August, but these were very tasty with no noticeable bitterness[K]. The seed can be up to 45mm in diameter and is easily harvested[82]. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed contains saponins and needs to be leached of these toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the North American Indians would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 - 5 days[213, 229]. The resulting product is said to be tasty and nutritious[229], though most of the minerals etc would have been leached out[K]. The flowers contain a sweet nectar which is delicious when sucked out[245].

Medicinal Uses

None known

Known Hazards

The seed is rich in saponins. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].