Tree of the month: Bottlebrush buckeye

Bottlebrush Buckeye: Our Tree of the Month for August

The bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is a native of the southeastern United States. It takes its common name from its bottlebrush-like inflorescences, which are at their peak in August at Westonbirt. Standing tall above the compound-palmate leaves typical of Aesculus, the blooms comprise numerous flowers with long, thread-like stamens tipped with distinctive red anthers that extend way beyond the petals.

Unlike some of the other Aesculus species that flower beautifully at the arboretum, such as the common and Indian horse chestnuts (A. hippocastanum and A. indica, respectively), the bottlebrush buckeye is a suckering shrub.

Good specimens of the bottlebrush buckeye can be found along Main Avenue in the Old Arboretum and Willesley Drive in Silk Wood. Be sure to take a look at the flowers – just don’t get too close to those anthers!

We hope you enjoyed learning about the bottlebrush buckeye, our Tree of the Month for August. If you're interested in learning more about other trees in our arboretum, be sure to check out our other Tree of the Month blog posts. We've featured a wide variety of trees from all over the world, so there's sure to be something for everyone.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. If you're planning a visit to Westonbirt, be sure to check out the bottlebrush buckeye in bloom. It's a truly spectacular sight!