The Watershed Nursery www.thewatershednursery.com California buckeye Hippocastanaceae Aesculus californica Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade, Shade Water: Dry, Light, Moderate, High Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand, Rocky Other: Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Birds, Drought Tolerant, Erosion Control Ecological Value: It's shallow spreading roots make this tree an excellent slope stabilizer. Many native insects, including native bees, use it as a nectar source. When there is no other nectar source, high concentrations of buckeye nectar can be poisonous to honeybees. Historical Uses: Many California native groups considered the seeds of the buckeye to be a backup food crop in times when acorn harvests were lean. Leaves, new shoots, and seeds could were used as a fish poison and the wood provided a fast growing source of material for constructing shelters and various tools. Native Distribution: Endemic to California. Elevation: In the Garden Between 0 and 4000 feet This drought tolerant deciduous tree grows 15 to 30'. Plant Communities: Foothill woodlands California buckeye provides year-round beauty to the garden. During the dormant season, the handsome, thick-stemmed silhouette and silvery smooth bark is revealed. Apple green foliage bursts Habitat: forth in early spring. Beautifully abundant Foothill Woodland in dry canyons and slopes candelabra like flowers bloom from April -June and visited by nectar seeking hummingbirds. If that isn't enough, large chestnut-brown seeds then appear in the fall. Use as a single specimen in the landscape or plant several as an informal hedge. This plant combines well with evergreens such as coast live oak and California bay. Little pruning needed..