Texas Buckeye
Aesculus glabra
Last reviewed: October 2026
Ohio Buckeye is a deciduous tree that blooms in May and June with clusters of pale yellow-green flowers attracting bees and butterflies. It grows well in part sun with medium moisture, often in woodland edges and river bottoms across the Midwest and mid-South.

Texas Buckeye is toxic to dogs and cats.
Listed as toxic by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (opens in new tab) (last reviewed 2026-05-21). If your pet has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 and your veterinarian's emergency line.
Pollinator Patch flags toxic plants so you can choose a pet-safe native alternative for your yard.
Native swaps for a yard with pets
Texas Buckeye is listed as toxic to dogs by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center. These natives fill a similar role in a planting and are not on the ASPCA toxic plant list for dogs or cats. Each plant's page carries its dated record.
Texas Buckeye is listed as toxic to grazing livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats at a severe level by the USDA PLANTS Database (opens in new tab). This is a livestock indicator and is separate from pet toxicity.
Light
part sun
Water
medium
Size
360"–480" H × 240"–420" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May
Native to
AL, AR, GA, IA and 18 more states
Pollinators
bees, butterflies, hummingbirds
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 459 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
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Browse plants for this ecoregion
A medium-sized native tree with distinctive palmate leaves and showy clusters of yellow-green flowers in spring. It produces large, glossy brown nuts in fall and has reliable yellow fall color, though it may drop leaves early during dry summers.
Growing Texas Buckeye
Grow Texas Buckeye in part sun and medium water. Mature plants reach 360 to 480 inches tall and spread 240 to 420 inches wide. Expect low maintenance to keep it looking intentional in a front yard.
In an HOA neighborhood
Texas Buckeye is an HOA-friendly choice. Maintenance level: low. Tidiness: 3 out of 5.
Works well in: front yard, mid zone.
- Large nuts may be considered messy when they drop
- Requires adequate space for mature size
Wildlife value
Host plant for luna moth, tiger swallowtail butterfly.
The spring flowers attract bees and butterflies for nectar. The nuts provide food for squirrels and other wildlife, though they are toxic to humans and livestock.
Common questions
- When does Ohio Buckeye bloom?
- Ohio Buckeye generally blooms in May and June, sending up spikes of pale yellow-green flowers before its leaves fully expand.
- What pollinators visit Ohio Buckeye?
- Bees and butterflies commonly visit the nectar-producing flower clusters of Ohio Buckeye during its spring bloom period.
- How much sun does Ohio Buckeye need?
- Ohio Buckeye does best in part sun but can handle conditions ranging from full sun to part shade, especially as an understory tree.
- How much water does Ohio Buckeye need?
- Ohio Buckeye prefers medium soil moisture and tolerates both occasional flooding and short dry spells once it is established.
- What growth form does Ohio Buckeye have?
- Ohio Buckeye is a medium-sized deciduous tree, often found as part of the canopy or understory in mixed woodlands.
- Is Texas Buckeye toxic to dogs?
- Yes. Texas Buckeye is listed as toxic to dogs by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (aspca.org). If your pet has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Is Texas Buckeye toxic to cats?
- Yes. Texas Buckeye is listed as toxic to cats by the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (aspca.org). If your cat has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Is Texas Buckeye toxic to livestock?
- Texas Buckeye is listed as toxic to grazing livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats (severe severity) by the USDA PLANTS Database. This is separate from pet (dog and cat) toxicity.
- Is Texas Buckeye HOA-friendly?
- Texas Buckeye is generally an HOA-friendly choice in the right placement, with low maintenance.
These answers were drafted with an AI model from this plant's data. Verify care details with a local expert.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Pollinator Patch flags toxic plants like Texas Buckeye and shows pet-safe natives for your ecoregion instead.



