Species › Plants › Red Buckeye

Red Buckeye

Aesculus pavia

CommonPlant
Illustration of Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Safety note: Seeds and all plant parts are toxic if ingested.

Red Buckeye is a large shrub to small tree of the southeastern United States, producing striking upright clusters of brilliant red tubular flowers in spring just as ruby-throated hummingbirds return from migration. Growing 10–20 feet tall, it is often the most important early spring nectar source for hummingbirds in the South. The glossy, palmate leaves emerge very early in spring. Red Buckeye is an excellent native garden plant for shaded woodland settings.

Habitat
Found in moist woodland understories, stream banks, and bottomland forests in the southeastern United States.
Diet
Prime early-season nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds; also visited by bumblebees.
How common
Common

Best time to see a Red Buckeye

The best time to see a Red Buckeye is March–April, when about 77% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 18,052 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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