Ohio Buckeye, Fetid Buckeye

Aesculus glabra

Physical Characteristics

Aesculus glabra is a deciduous Tree growing to 20 m (65ft 7in) 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 June to July, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. 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

South-eastern and Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Nebraska, south to Tennessee and Oklahoma.

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed Edible Uses: Seed - cooked[222]. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, up to 35mm in diameter[82], and is easily harvested[K]. It is quite rich in saponins and needs to be leached of these toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the 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. By this time most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out[K].

Medicinal Uses

Antispasmodic Miscellany Minute doses of the seed are used internally in the treatment of spasmodic coughs, asthma and internal irritations[222]. It is used externally as a tea or an ointment in the treatment of rheumatism and piles[222]. An extract of the bark has been used as an irritant of the cerebro-spinal system[82].

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].