Aesculus parviflora Walter

Bottlebrush Buckeye

Shrub

Perennial

Vascular

Bottlebrush Buckeye is a native deciduous shrub in the Soapberry family (Sapindaceae). It is found throughout the central portion of Alabama. Bottlebrush Buckeye usually occurs on sites with basic or neutral soils in hardwood forests. It is particularity common on hardwood ravine slopes and bluffs near rivers. Bottlebrush Buckeye grows to a height of twelve to fifteen feet and produces numerous suckers from the base. The leaves are deciduous, opposite, and palmately compound with five to seven leaflets. The leaflets are lanceolate to elliptic in outline, glabrous, and have serrate margins. Bottlebrush Buckeye is one of the most spectacular summer flowering native shrubs. Erect panicles of spidery white flowers are produced between May and July depending on the population. A very late flowering variety is sometimes available and called “serotina” or “Rogers”. The panicles can be over two feet long and individual flowers open from the base to the tip. The white flowers are tubular with four clawed petals, red anthers and pinkish filaments. The fruit is a leathery capsule with 1-3 large brown seed. The foliage turns a bright clear yellow in the autumn. In Alabama Bottlebrush Buckeye is listed as a S2/S3 species (S2 - Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state. S3 - Typically 21 to 100 occurrences, limited acreage, or miles of stream in the state), and globally it is a G3 species (Imperiled globally because of rarity or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range (South Carolina to Alabama) because of other factors). Bottlebrush Buckeye grows best in moist organic rich soils. It prefers filtered shade, but will grow in full sun. Plants are available from nurseries or can be grown from seed or suckers.--A. Diamond

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Native S2S3 (State Rank) G3 (Global Rank)

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