Ohio Buckeye
1306 Cascade Street
The Ohio Buckeye Aesculus glabra makes a wonderful shade tree with its dense rounded canopy that often spreads as wide as it is high. This tree gets its name from its green prickly fruit that encloses a dark glossy seed with a light circular patch that looks like a "buck's eye". Considered to be poisonous to humans, the nuts are relished by squirrels. Indigenous peoples boiled the nuts to remove the toxins before eating.
The Ohio Buckeye has showy white upright flowers that appear in early spring. Its distinctive palmate compound leaves have 5 oblong leaflets, resembling an outstretched hand. Its foliage turns a beautiful orange in the fall. Related to the European Horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippoccastanum), it occurs naturally in only one place in Canada – Walpole Island in southern Ontario. Not surprisingly, it is the state tree of Ohio. It is so popular there that sweet treats, sports teams, companies, and even the citizens of the state are named after the buckeye. The scientific name Aesculus relates to Aesculapius, the mythological Greek god of medicine and the alleged healing power of the buckeye nut. It is believed to cure rheumatism, and to bring wisdom and good luck.
Alternate location: 630 Costigan Way