aesculus parviflora

So it's been hot, sticky and miserable; of course nothing unusual for much of the country this time of year. So I thought I should give a shout out to the star performer in this miserable heat, the indomitable bottlebrush buckeye. Here's mine this week, with temps nearing 100 and humidity to match. Liking it fine. Certainly handling the conditions better than I do. It's so nice having a plant in shade blooming this time of year. So if you've got a wooded area that needs something to liven it up, you might give him a try.

This late, and with those extra long flowers...are you sure that isn't Aesculus parviflora var. serotina?

I'll go out and look, but I'm pretty sure with all the heat and rain, all my species Bottlebrush Buckeye plants AND my Aesculus parviflora var. serotina seedlings and 'Rogers' are spent - and setting seed like nobody's business.

Should be a bumper crop of buckeye seed this year from every species, which are among the easiest plants to germinate if you go ahead and plant them immediately. Hundreds produced here over the years, distributed far and wide.

So interesting to see how one person's plant is another's, well poison. I have not been successful growing any kind of buckeye whatsoever, nor do I see any in the neighborhood. My eyes are on a shady section of our front yard, too. It's in a bit of a frost zone. Should I try again>?

Bottlebrush Buckeye should be one to try - for shady or sunny spots. I have them in both kinds of sites, and they are much more floriferous in the sun.

They do so enjoy a good long hot summer, which I suppose your Lexington (MA) doesn't often provide. Here is what they do in our Lexington - KY - which is your namesake.

Mine might be var serotina, or even the cultivar Rogers, which I think purports to bloom even later than serotina. I presume the shade has something to do with the late bloom time, too. At my place, I find the flowers look too pitiful in the sun - wilted & droopy. They hold up much better for me in shade. And since nothing else is blooming in the shade right now, it's especially nice. And in my climate anyway, it's not fussy at all - the specimen pictured above is in growing along the side of my driveway which was built up with a bunch of broken rock. I can't imagine he's finding enough soil to thrive, but he looks great. I have several others scattered around my yard which look equally good.

And Rosemary, I certainly will attest to the frustration of not being able to grow things which others do with ease. I can't grow a oxydendron, franklinia, or for that matter a proper rhodie or azalea to save my soul. But I am amused as others try to nurture their redbuds, while here I pull them like weeds. I say give the bottlebrush another try.

Aesculus parviflora is something that can sit for eons at a nursery, I guess it doesn't have a huge following either. I wanted it...and of course it is suffering here.

The pics above demonstrate why I want to grow this plant. OK, we do have a short growing season. Very acid soil is another thing that's different here compared to the Ohio Buckeye (I mean river) Valley. So, if it likes long hot summers, I should probably try growing in the highest place so the frost gets there last. Hmmm. That region is pretty much spoken for, though the peonies do demand a lot of lime.

And the big secret to ease of growing rhodi's and such is clearly acid rain, for which I do thank the midwest. Mopheads get cute too, starting out the way the ground PH says they should be and then changing with the season. I have lavendar hydrangeas.

you're welcome

This message was edited Jul 20, 2015 5:16 AM

:) It's nothing.