Description

Leaves: Yellowish-green above in summer, turning orange to yellow in fall; young leaves covered in soft hairs while mature leaves are largely hairless; paler green and hairy below; palmately compound, 9" in length; 5-7 (usually 5) opposite leaflets, oval or egg-shaped, 3" to 6" in length, finely and unevenly saw-toothed, tapering to a point; all leaflets attached to a long stalk; emerge relatively early in spring; bruising brings an unpleasant scent; deciduous.

Twigs/buds: Twigs grayish to reddish-brown; hairy, becoming hairless; thick; disagreeably odorous when damaged; lenticels orange. Buds pale orange-brown or red-brown, pointed, egg-shaped, not raised on a stalk, about 2/3" in length (while lateral buds are not as large); non-resinous; powdery coating; scales reddish, triangular, overlapping, keeled (have central ridges), with somewhat hairy edges; leaf scars shaped like horseshoes.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect; greenish yellow, hairy; approximately 1" long, 4-petaled, narrowly bell-shaped; odor unpleasant; the 4" to 7" panicles develop in early May, not very conspicuous, yet attractive. Fruit comes in pale greenish-brown or reddish-brown capsules which split open; capsules egg-shaped, about 1-2" long; prickly (with short, blunt spines), the only North American native buckeye possessing a spiny fruit husk; seeds (1-3 in each capsule) are eaten by squirrels, yet are inedible for humans.

Bark: Ash gray, turning dark brown with age; furrowed or fissured, rough, cracked, flaky, thick, and bad scented.

Wood: Medium importance; creamy heartwood gradually merges with white sapwood; wood has uniform texture and poor shock resistance, is straight-grained, light-weight and soft. Used for paper (pulp), boxes, crates, furniture, containers, and wooden ware.

General: Native from the Appalachians of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and N. Carolina to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and southeastern Nebraska. Naturally found as scattered trees, but also in thickets. A shrub to small tree, often reaching heights from 30' to 50', but can grow taller. Shade tolerant, but prefers moist sites.

Landscape Use: Rarely planted in Utah. Suitable for parks and open areas, but not as much for streets and residential landscapes because of its messiness. Differs from horsechestnut in usually having 5 leaflets per leaf without rusty hairs beneath, a fruit that is not as spiny, and yellow-green flowers. Zones 3-7.

Cultivar: 'Prairie Torch' 

Characteristics