Identifying Features:
For
Buckeyes:
-Opposite
leaves
-Palmately compound
-Long leafstalks
-Flowers in upright clusters
For
California Buckeyes:
-In
California (It's A. californica for a reason!)
-Smooth nut husks
Images
(All
of these images come from the CalFlora Website)
A
California Buckeye.
Photographers: Dr. G. Dallas & Margaret Hanna
The upright flower stalk and palmately arranged compound leaves identify this as a Buckeye
Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau
California Buckeye nut.
Photographer: Joseph Dougherty
Where are they found?
California Buckeyes are the only buckeyes native to California and they range all over the state. They thrive best in low elevation mountain ranges and are found from the Klamath and Coast ranges in the west to the Foothills of the Sierra Nevada in the east. While their Northern California range is more extensive, they are found as far south as Los Angeles.
If
you find a group of this tree, also look for:
Coast
Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia)
Canyon Live Oak (Q.
chrysolepis)
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
Hinds Walnut (Juglans hindsii)
Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi)
Knobcone Pine (P. Attenuata)
Sugar Pine (P. lambertiana)
Ponderosa Pine (P. ponderosa)
Redwood
(Sequoia sempervirens)
Succession Status
The California Buckeye is a climax indicator in several communities including Chaparral (where it often appears as a large shrub), mixed oak communities, and in the aptly named California buckeye woodlands.
Ecological Use
The California Buckeye is poisonous and has been linked to abortions in cattle. Still, many species prefer it for browse including black tail deer, various rodents, and Stellar's jays. It is unclear why. Perhaps some species have developed immunity to the toxins.
California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)
