Mexican Buckeye
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407 South Pipeline Road East
Euless TX 76040
United States
+12148140932
The Mexican buckeye is a lovely deciduous tree that can grow to heights of 8-12 feet, sometimes reaching up to 30 feet! Its bark typically shows off a beautiful light gray to brown color, smooth on the younger branches and developing a lovely fissured texture as it matures. The leaves can extend up to 12 inches long, featuring a central axis that gracefully supports 2 to 6 paired leaflets along with a delightful terminal one. The leaflets themselves can grow as long as 5 inches, showcasing an ovate to narrower shape, complete with an elegant elongate tip, rounded base, and charming serrated edges. Come fall, the pinnate foliage transforms into a radiant golden yellow, adding a splash of color to the landscape. This enchanting tree produces fragrant, bright-pink flowers in delightful clusters, either just before or alongside the leaves, emerging gracefully from the axils of the previous season. The fruit of the tree is a light reddish-brown, three-lobed capsule that houses 1 to 3 shiny dark brown to black seeds, each about half an inch in diameter. Interestingly, the capsule walls tend to hang around throughout the winter, while the seeds, although beautiful, are poisonous.
From a distance, when this tree is in full bloom, it can resemble the lovely redbuds or peaches! It's funny to know that children sometimes use the sweetish but toxic seeds as marbles. While livestock usually steer clear of the toxic foliage, bees find joy in producing fragrant honey from the blooms. Although it's not a true buckeye, it's affectionately named so due to its similar large capsules and seeds. This unique plant honors Baron Ferdinand von Ungnad, the Austrian ambassador at Constantinople who introduced the Horsechestnut to Western Europe in 1576.
When the Mexican buckeye is in bloom, it truly puts on a stunning show. The foliage turns a bright, clear yellow in autumn, creating a picturesque scene. Its beautiful foliage, eye-catching flowers, and dense branching make this species an excellent choice as a small specimen tree or a tall background shrub. It's a wonderfully resilient tree that thrives easily is drought-resistant and can withstand cotton root rot. If you wish, you can prune the tree to encourage a single trunk, helping to shape its growth. Keep in mind that the growth characteristics of this lovely tree can vary quite a bit depending on its surroundings. Just a little heads up: the seedpods are mildly poisonous, so it's good to be aware.
Height: 15’-30'
Spread: 8’-12'
Bloom: Spring
Light: Full sun, Part Shade
Water: Low
Zone: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Origin: Texas, S.E. New Mexico, Northern Mexico
Spring Shipping:
Orders are shipped within 7-10 business days. We will email you if there are expected delays.
When you order plants from our nursery, you can expect them to arrive in the best possible condition. Our team carefully packs each order using sturdy, biodegradable packaging materials.
Your plants' appearance may vary depending on the season and their current growth stage. We may cut back the leafy growth of some plants to prepare them for shipment and transplanting.
5 Gallon and Up: Any plant purchased to ship over 5 Gallons will be shipped bare root. This means we will remove the plant from its original pot, remove the soil surrounding the roots, and wrap the roots with a biodegradable plastic bag. This reduces weight and the likelihood of damage during shipping.
Once your plants arrive, it is essential to plant them as soon as possible. This will help them rebound and thrive. If you cannot plant immediately, water regularly and keep the roots off heat-conducting surfaces.
Newly transplanted plants often require more water until their roots are well established. Plan to water them 1-3 times weekly for the first few months.
