CALIFORNIA BUCKEYE

Description:  Tree, height 15-40 feet, deciduous with leaves falling by late summer as a strategy against drought, new leaf growth begins in February.
Leaf:  Compound, palmate leaf, generally with 5 leaflets, leaflet finely toothed, length 2-7 inches.  

   
Flower:  May-June:  Spike-like cluster, length 6-8 inches, with small white to pinkish, sweet smelling flowers (length ½ inch).  Pollen and nectar are toxic to honeybees.

Fruit/Seed:  Large, pear shaped, grayish-brown, and leathery.  Usually a single fruit is born at tip of flower spike and remains on tree after leaf fall.  Fruit splits to reveal a large brown seed (said to look like a buck's eye).  Seed round, large, diameter 1-2 inches, glossy brown, ripens in September.

Typical Location:  Established floodplain forests, borders of streams, canyons, dry slopes; elevations below 5,600 feet.

Revegetation Approach:  Container and direct seeding.  Seeds easy to grow but toxic. Tolerant of urban pollution and salt spray. 
Notes:  All plant parts toxic, but seeds provide wildlife with some forage.  Roots are good for binding soil. Native Americans used ground seeds to stun fish.