Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

How much light does an Ohio Buckeye need?

Full sun is the preferred setting for Ohio buckeye, which means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. Part shade and full shade are also listed as light conditions where the tree grows. When you have a choice of spots, pick the one that gets the most direct sun of the three settings listed.

• Light: Full sun, part shade and full shade (full sun preferred)^1,2

How often to water an Ohio Buckeye

Medium is the water use recorded for Ohio buckeye. The recorded range is medium at both the low end and the high end, with no dry or wet extreme listed. The soil it grows in is described as well drained and moist, so check that the ground stays moist while still draining freely.

• Water: Medium²

Best soil for an Ohio Buckeye

Look for soil that is both well drained and moist, because those are the two drainage conditions listed for this tree. One source describes deep, rich, well-drained soils. Another describes rich, moist, well-drained soils. Both descriptions name good drainage as part of the soil. Water use on this kind of soil is medium. No cited source records a preferred soil pH for this tree.

• Soil drainage: Well drained and moist^1,2

Hardiness and temperature

USDA hardiness zones 4a through 7a are the range listed for Ohio buckeye. Zone 4a is the coldest zone in that range, and zone 7a is the warmest. Check your own zone against 4a to 7a before you plant. No cited source records a minimum temperature for this tree, and no humidity preference is recorded either.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–7a³

How to plant an Ohio Buckeye

Choose a site in USDA zones 4a through 7a for Ohio buckeye. A spot with full sun and well-drained, moist soil matches the conditions listed for it. Leave room for a mature height of about 30 to 50 ft (9.1–15.2 m), and note that the tree can grow taller. The mature spread is 20 to 40 ft (6.1–12.2 m). The growth rate is moderate. Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee are among its native regions.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–7a³

Winter care

As a deciduous tree, Ohio buckeye is listed with this leaf habit. It is rated for USDA zones 4a through 7a, and zone 4a is the coldest end of that range. A site colder than zone 4a falls outside the rated range. No cited source records a minimum temperature, so a precise cold limit is not documented. No winter protection method is recorded for this tree.

• Hardiness: Zones 4a–7a³

How to propagate an Ohio Buckeye

Seed is the recorded propagation method for Ohio buckeye. The source says to moist-stratify the seed for 120 days at 41 °F (5 °C). Plan around that 120-day stratification period when you decide how to start new trees. No cutting, grafting or division method is recorded for this species.

• Propagation: Seed²

Common problems

Oystershell scale is the pest recorded for Ohio buckeye. The diseases recorded are leaf blotch, powdery mildew and anthracnose. That makes four listed problems in all, one pest and three diseases, so watch the tree for these. No treatment or control method is recorded for any of them.

• Common pests: oystershell scale⁴
• Common diseases: leaf blotch, powdery mildew and anthracnose¹

Questions and answers

Is Ohio buckeye toxic to cats and dogs?

The ASPCA lists Ohio buckeye as toxic to cats. It also lists the plant as toxic to dogs. The recorded status is the same for both animals.

How much sun does Ohio buckeye need?

Ohio buckeye prefers full sun, which means six or more hours of direct sunlight a day. It is also listed for part shade and full shade. Full sun is the preferred setting among the three.

How big does an Ohio buckeye get?

A mature tree often reaches 30 to 50 ft (9.1–15.2 m) tall, and it can grow taller. The mature spread is 20 to 40 ft (6.1–12.2 m). Its growth rate is moderate.