Red buckeye
Red buckeye attracts hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
By LYNN ARTZ and DAVID RODDENBERRY
Red buckeye (Aesculus pavia) is prized for its spring display of upright clusters of red flowers that attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. A slow-grower, red buckeye seldom exceeds 25 ft tall and 10-20 feet wide. Found in upland hardwood forests, it prefers partial shade in moist well-drained soil. This small native tree makes a striking specimen in a naturalized area or wildlife garden. Its interesting palmate leaves droop handsomely. Each large brown seed has a whitish scar said to give it the appearance of a deer’s eye, hence the name “buckeye.” Native Americans crushed the seeds and put them in water to stun fish for capture. The seeds are toxic if eaten. Sometimes called firecracker plant, red buckeye is blooming now along the woodland at Sopchoppy Depot Park.