All the Dirt on Gardening

Bottlebursh Buckeye Cold hardy in zones 4 to 8, Bottlebrush Buckeye is a lovely addition to shade and rain gardens. Paige Nugent at A Girl in Her Garden said, "It holds dark green leaves in the summer and throws up white flower spikes over them in June to July. Unlike other buckeyes, it holds its leaves well into autumn when they turn a brilliant yellow. Late summer it makes buckeyes which begin by looking like bright yellow spiky pears on the plant. The seed is poisonous to humans so don’t try it as a snack."  Bottlebrush Buckeye is a southern native but can do pretty well in zone 4 or 5 climates with care, especially supplemental water during our drought months. Our shrub came from a home vendor at the farmer's market in Fayetteville , Arkansas. He dug it out of his back woods so I'm confident in saying it is not a hybrid  of the native variety. It's in its third year with us and this is the first year it has made such a nice flower. The first two y...

Bottlebrush Buckeye, Aesculus parviflora , is a shrub that gardeners remember once they see it in bloom. It has large leaves on a 6-foot tall and wide woody plant. The 1-foot long white flower panicles stand up straight like huge candles. The tiny, individual flowers on the panicles are tubular with red anthers and pink filaments. And, best of all it is a native that thrives in part to full shade. In fact, the leaves scorch in full southern sun, making it perfect for under trees. Typical of chestnuts, the leaves are large, dark green, and palmate with 5 to 7 leaflets. The plants are difficult to find in stores and even more difficult to start from seed. We found ours at the Fayetteville farmer’s market. The seller said he grows them by layering lower branches until they make roots. The suckers can also be removed from a friend’s plant, potted for a year, and then planted into the garden. Natural Landscapes Nursery Bottlebrush Buckeye resists most bugs and diseases, tole...