Sweet buckeye, Horse Chestnut, Yellow Buckeye
It is a temperate plant. They grow naturally in Eastern North America - Pennsylvania to Tennessee and west to Ohio in woodland on moist rich soils. It prefers a well drained soil. Trees are very hardy to cold when dormant. Plants can grow in shady places. Temperate. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.
Synonyms
- Aesculus lutea (Wangenh.)
- Aesculus octandra (Marshall.)
Edible Portion
- Seeds, Nectar
Where does Sweet buckeye grow?
Found in: Australia, Britain, North America, United States
Notes: There are 15 Aesculus species. Also put in the family Hippocastanaceae.
Growing Sweet buckeye, Horse Chestnut, Yellow Buckeye
Cultivation: Trees can be grown from seed. Fresh seed which has not been allowed to dry out should be used. Seed germinates quickly. Trees transplant fairly easily.
Edible Uses: Caution: This plant contains saponins which although poisonous are not normally easily absorbed by the body. It is nevertheless probably no wise to eat large quantities. The seeds are eaten cooked. Before eating they are slowly roasted then crushed and washed for 2-5 days in running water. They are then dried and ground into a powder. The flowers contain a sweet nectar which can be sucked out.
Production: Trees reach maturity in about 60-80 years.
Nutrition Info
per 100g edible portion| Edible Part | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) | Iron (mg) | Vitamin A (ug) | Vitamin c (mg) | Zinc (mg) | % Water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeds | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nectar | - | - | - | - | - | - |
References
Anonymous, Cat. Arb. Frut. Horto Edin. Cresc. 1778:3. 1778
Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 54
Coombes, A.J., 2000, Trees. Dorling Kindersley Handbooks. p 179
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 107
Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 78
Joyce, D., 1998, The Garden Plant Selector. Ryland, Peters and Small. p 106
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Young, J., (Ed.), 2001, Botanica's Pocket Trees and Shrubs. Random House. p 72