Bottlebrush buckeye

Yellow leaves of bottlebrush buckeye in fall

Bottlebrush buckeye is a shrubby tree that spreads more than it grows tall. It’s a relative of the chestnut tree and has the same leaves.

Bottlebrush Buckeye facts

NameAesculus parviflora
Family – Sapindaceae
Type – shrub

Height – 6 ½ feet (2 meters)
Exposure – full sun or part sun
Soil – ordinary, well drained

Foliage – deciduous
Flowering – June to August

Planting bottlebrush buckeye

Preferably in fall.
Follow our advice on planting shrubs.

Pruning bottlebrush buckeye

It isn’t necessary to prune it.

To reduce the size of the shrub or to balance growth, operate in spring.

Learn more about bottlebrush buckeye

Bottlebrush buckeye also has fruits like conkersBottlebrush buckeye is actually a type of bushy horse-chestnut tree that has more or less the same leaf and flower characteristics as its larger cousin.

It thus makes for easy growing and care and will fit just as well in a shrub bed as it will as a standalone.

If in a shrub bed, do provide for sufficient space because once mature it can grow wider across than 25 feet (8 meters)!

Are the fruits edible?

Unlike chestnut, bottlebrush buckeye fruits are only edible after special treatments: roasting, then slicing, and finally soaking in running water for days on end. It contains high levels of saponin, a poisonous compound that must be washed out from the dried, powdered or sliced material. Since this treatment also removes other nutrients, it isn’t much worth the effort.

  • These same saponins can be used to make soap, though, so it’s still an interesting plant to keep!

Read also:

Smart tip about Bottlebrush buckeye

To avoid it growing too large, eliminate suckers and new shoots as they appear.

Flowering bottlebrush buckeye shrub


Image credits (edits Gaspard Lorthiois):
Pixabay: Annette Meyer, JA2020
CC BY 2.0: K M