The Seasonal Decorations of the California Buckeye

As most of us begin to prepare to dig out our ornaments to decorate our Yule trees for the coming winter season, the California Buckeye (or Aesculus californica) donned its seasonal ornaments a few weeks ago as their bulb-shaped nuts began to dangle from its branches.  

Late summer into early fall the buckeye begins to stand in stark contrast to the evergreen oaks, bay laurel, and Douglas fir that it typically grows amongst as its leaves begin to fall.  The fallen leaves uncover a twisting array of branches reaching out in all directions.  These spooky looking branches serve as a wonderful welcome to the spooky season in the early fall.  

Now, as we prepare to cover the world with lights and decorations to brighten up the darker days the California Buckeye is again one step ahead!  Glance up into their branches at this time of year and you will be met with a marvelous display of the name-sake Buckeye Nuts drooping down from every branch.  

Though they can be nice to look at, never eat ANY part of a California Buckeye tree - including its nuts. Every single part contains deadly glycosidal compounds which will both reduce the body's ability to transport oxygen in the blood and depress the central nervous system (1).  This doesn't mean that the Buckeye can't provide us humans with food. In fact, they have been used by natives of the area for millennia. It just takes a little extra work.

One of the Buckeye nut's secrets is its SECOND type of toxins the water soluble cytotoxic saponins that are not dangerous to humans, but will stun fish. (1) This makes it a very useful fruit to help with a plentiful day on the water catching dinner!

If you’re looking to find a California Buckeye there is a distinct Buckeye Woodland habitat type in California around Pinnacles National Monument.  They’re also found through the mixed oak woodlands and evergreen forests of California’s Coastal Range, Sierra Nevada Foothills, and Klamath Mountains (2). I tend to find they love edge zones between oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forests, and grasslands where they can get plenty of sun and plenty of water.  

Do you have a favorite tree that gets dressed up for the season?  

What about plants nearby that will help you catch some dinner? 

1. California Buckeye.  USDA NRCS Plant Guide. Nov 21 2025 https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/plantmaterials/capmcpg13492.pdf 

2. Species: Aesculus californica.  USDA and US Forest Service Fire Effects Information System.  https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/aescal/all.html