Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)

A native hardwood tree from eastern North America, including parts of southern Ontario and the broader eastern forest region. Ohio buckeye is known for its smooth, glossy brown nuts and distinctive palmate leaves that give it a lush, tropical look in summer.

Despite their appealing appearance, the nuts are inedible and toxic if consumed raw, and should not be eaten by people or livestock. Historically, Indigenous peoples developed careful methods to leach toxins for limited uses, but today the tree is best appreciated for its ecological and cultural value rather than as a food source.

In spring, the upright clusters of greenish-yellow flowers provide early nectar for pollinators, while the tree itself supports native woodland biodiversity. A beautiful choice for restoration plantings, edible forest edges (as a canopy species), or native landscape projects.

Seeds are best planted fresh in fall or cold stratified before spring sowing.

At least 4 nuts per packet
Cold stratification: 90–120 days moist cold stratification if planting in spring. Fall planting outdoors is ideal and allows natural winter stratification.