Bottlebrush Buckeyes

Aesculus parviflora or Bottlebrush buckeye doesn't get the real estate it deserves. It flowers, produces unique "nuts", has great autumn color, is impervious to deer, and is tough as nails!... Just a great all-around addition to any landscape. Not to mention the fact that it's native and irresistible to pollinators.

Blooming from late May through June, this flower powerhouse bridges the late-spring/ summer transition which is usually a lull time with fewer blooms. Its long wispy stamens remind me of the cat whiskers plant (Orthosiphon aristatus). Novice gardeners often mix up bottlebrush buckeye with the Australian genus Callistemon, which is also called "bottlebrush". But the two look nothing alike and behave very differently in the landscape.

Latin names often provide good descriptions of species. The specific epithet (the second name in the binomial) "parviflora" refers to a plant with small flowers. And while bottlebrush does indeed have small flowers, its inflorescence (the cluster of flowers) is prominent and quite showy. And if it is pollinated and fertilized, the flowers evolve into pendulous clusters of husked fruits each containing one bright orange "buckeye" seed. These are among the most ornamental "nuts" I can think of, and I can't resist collecting them in the fall. If you sow them and protect them from rodents, you'll get a crop of fast-growing seedlings next spring!

The architecture of this species is also ornamental. In a few years, you'll have a sort of "layered" tiered mounding shrub. Over time it will form an ever-widening thicket. I've observed some specimens, especially in shady forests, that sucker along the ground, forming in effect a woody groundcover. This is a plant that does best with some shade, though I've certainly seen excellent examples in full sun. It naturally flags, or wilts, in drought. But fear not, this is usually just a strategy just to reduce water loss. Generally speaking, this buckeye is drought-tolerant and only needs supplemental water in the worst of droughts.

In my recent tours of local garden centers, I've not found many sources for this plant. Occasionally it will pop up here and there, but you will probably have to go to a native plant nursery or some other specialty nursery. And when you do find it, it is usually grossly overpriced. Buying small plants, 1 gal. and under, will help you save money. I try my best to avoid purchasing 3 gals., not only because of the outrageous mark-up but because I hate digging a big hole. The industry needs to realize that the demographic most likely to buy plants simply isn't able to plant such large specimens. Sorry for the rant, but I just feel strongly that the horticulture industry needs to focus more on producing small plants for retail.

In my google searching, I've found only 2 different clones or cultivars. Some nurseries offer a larger, late-blooming natural variety called, var. serotina. It apparently blooms in July with noticeably longer inflorescences and a larger ultimate size. The cultivar 'Rogers' which was found in a front yard of a biology professor at the University of Illinois (Urbana), characteristically produces long drooping blooms instead of the more typical erect flowers of the species. I'm curious, have any of you come across other bottlebrush cultivars?

I'm sad this plant isn't more widely embraced here in the southeast. I almost never see this plant in home landscapes, but if you've got a large area in sun or shade, consider getting one. You can't beat a plant that essentially takes care of itself and provides interest in so many seasons.