Aesculus californica
| Aesculus californica | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 7 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 39' |
| Width: | 33' |
| Speed: | Moderate |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aesculus californica (common name: californian buckeye)
Propagation: Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[1][2]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[3]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[2][4]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[3]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[1]. Requires a position in full sun[5]. Prefers dry sunny locations[6].
Although fairly hardy throughout Britain, it grows best in areas where winter temperatures do not fall below -10°c[5].
A moderately fast-growing and long-lived tree in the wild[7], in Britain it grows best in eastern and south-eastern England. Plants thrives at Kew[1].
Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[1].
Range: South-western N. America - California.
Habitat: Moist stream borders, scrub and the edges of oak and pine woods in canyons and dry slopes below 1200 metres[8][9][7].
Edibility: Seed - cooked[10][11][12][13][14][15]. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a gruel[16]. The seed contains about 23% protein and has an agreeable taste[17]. The seed is large, and can be up to 5cm in diameter[18]. It is often produced abundantly in the warmer areas of Britain and is easily harvested[K]. This was the most commonly used Aesculus species in N. America[17]. It does, however, contain poisonous saponins (see the notes above on toxicity) and so needs careful preparation before being eaten. The seed needs to be leached of these toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the Indians would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 - 5 days[17]. Most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out by this treatment[K].
Medicinal: The seed contains saponins and can be used as an expectorant[14].
The crushed fruit is applied as a salve on haemorrhoids[19].
A decoction of the bark is used in the treatment of toothache and loose teeth[19].
Usage: The seed is rich in saponins, these are used as a soap substitute[20]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[K].
Wood - soft, light, very close grained[18]. Of no value as a lumber[7]. The wood was used as friction sticks for making fire by the North American Indians[19].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The seed is rich in saponins. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully le
Also Known As: Pavia californica.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society, 1982.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Royal Horticultural Society. The Plantsman Vol. 6. 1984 - 1985. Royal Horticultural Society, 1984.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Munz, David. A California Flora. University of California Press, 1959.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ Douglas, James. Alternative Foods.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Howes, Frank. Nuts. Faber, 1948.
- ↑ Balls, Edward. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press, 1975.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Sweet, Muriel. Common Edible and Useful Plants of the West. Naturegraph Co, 1962.
- ↑ Saunders, Charles. Edible and Useful Wild Plants of the United States and Canada. Dover Publications, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Sargent, Charles. Manual of the Trees of North America. Dover, 1965.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.