Aesculus pavia
| Aesculus pavia | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 16' |
| Width: | 10' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Early Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aesculus pavia (common name: red 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.
Division of suckers in the dormant season[5]. The suckers can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Cultivation: Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[6][1]. Very shade tolerant, it also succeeds in a sunny position[5].
A very ornamental shrub, when dormant it is hardy to about -15°c[7] though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. It prefers a continental climate, growing best in eastern and south-eastern England[5].
Trees are fast-growing in the wild, though they are also short-lived[8]. They can commence flowering when only 1 metre tall[8]. Plants spread by means of suckers[5].
There are a number of named varieties, developed for their ornamental value. Var. 'Humilis' is a low growing form[9].
Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[1].
Range: South-eastern N. America - Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana.
Habitat: Rich moist soils in deciduous woods, on the sides of streams and swamp margins[10][11][8].
Edibility: Seed - cooked. It can be dried and ground into a powder and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, about 25mm in diameter[12], and is easily harvested. Unfortunately, the seed is also rich in saponins and these need to be removed before it can be eaten. See also the notes above on toxicity.
The following notes apply to A. californica, but are probably also relevant here:-
The seed needs to be leached of 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[13]. Most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out by this treatment[K].
Medicinal: The powdered bark is hypnotic and odontalgic. It is used in the treatment of ulcers[10][11][12].
A poultice of the powdered seeds has been used in the treatment of cancer tumours and infections, and as a salve for sores[14].
An infusion of the roots has been used as a bath in the treatment of dyspepsia[14].
Usage: Saponins in the seed and roots are a soap substitute[10][15]. 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].
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[15]. 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 careful
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 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 5.2 5.3 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Elias, Thomas. The Complete Trees of North America. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1980.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Vines, Robert. Trees of Central Texas. University of Texas Press, 1987.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Emboden, William. Narcotic Plants. Studio Vista, 1979.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Vines, Robert. Trees of North Texas. University of Texas Press, 1982.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Buchanan, Rita. A Weavers Garden.