California Buckeye(Aseculus Californica), Horse Chestnut - Saplings

Firstflush

Chumono
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,135
Location
NW Montucky
USDA Zone
3-4
Just sharing. Starting to leaf out.
Pretty cool trees. Bark is like tiger bark ficus. Summer deciduous for drought tolerance. They are poisonous to everything except squirrels and chipmunks. Native Ca bees are immune but non-native Euro honeybees will be killed in a season. First Nation peoples would grind up the seeds/nuts to paralyze fish in streams for harvest here in CA. Found nowhere else except Oregon and California, USA.

I saw and read the post on a single specimen tree on here or anywhere. Enjoy!
3 years old. Broken apart out of a cache pot last season. From seed.
 

Attachments

  • 3DA60315-BE6C-4D9E-BA85-E6D8E536EAF9.jpeg
    3DA60315-BE6C-4D9E-BA85-E6D8E536EAF9.jpeg
    253.9 KB · Views: 39
  • DB731D0F-EE3C-4C4C-BBA0-8CBBDCA0FC89.jpeg
    DB731D0F-EE3C-4C4C-BBA0-8CBBDCA0FC89.jpeg
    285.7 KB · Views: 20
  • 66A73D65-3AD2-453C-83E4-719EB86AE698.jpeg
    66A73D65-3AD2-453C-83E4-719EB86AE698.jpeg
    345.6 KB · Views: 19
  • 2CAE8E25-DFEB-4F06-BB11-7430E7262574.jpeg
    2CAE8E25-DFEB-4F06-BB11-7430E7262574.jpeg
    319.5 KB · Views: 19
  • 8F9439DF-CB14-4D55-A184-7E4CC15FCC98.jpeg
    8F9439DF-CB14-4D55-A184-7E4CC15FCC98.jpeg
    192.1 KB · Views: 18
  • BD7FE8EE-A6C4-44CD-BE95-DEA5902143CA.jpeg
    BD7FE8EE-A6C4-44CD-BE95-DEA5902143CA.jpeg
    182.1 KB · Views: 19
  • A94C56CD-F8F4-4C5C-870F-B0C0B6747A42.jpeg
    A94C56CD-F8F4-4C5C-870F-B0C0B6747A42.jpeg
    241.2 KB · Views: 17
  • 889828DD-E88D-45F1-8566-B06E1540C5FE.jpeg
    889828DD-E88D-45F1-8566-B06E1540C5FE.jpeg
    388.4 KB · Views: 16
  • F12D9DC8-61FF-447D-A0D7-E7055FE79FA6.jpeg
    F12D9DC8-61FF-447D-A0D7-E7055FE79FA6.jpeg
    198.2 KB · Views: 17
  • F4E1B83C-CA1A-4A8F-951B-D0DC0A8FAAC3.jpeg
    F4E1B83C-CA1A-4A8F-951B-D0DC0A8FAAC3.jpeg
    219.3 KB · Views: 40

MrWunderful

Omono
Messages
1,457
Reaction score
1,952
Location
SF Bay area
USDA Zone
10b
I have thought about it, grew up having buckeye fights near my grandmas house. Unfortunately the long Internode length and gigantic leaves have always caused me to focus on species better suited for bonsai
 

Firstflush

Chumono
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,135
Location
NW Montucky
USDA Zone
3-4
The only thread I found showing one developed.
 

Firstflush

Chumono
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,135
Location
NW Montucky
USDA Zone
3-4
Couple pics from an older SF show. Not mine obviously.
 

Attachments

  • BE0A3613-100D-402C-8B95-46EBA4FA856F.jpeg
    BE0A3613-100D-402C-8B95-46EBA4FA856F.jpeg
    32.7 KB · Views: 40
  • 81CB2E51-9A56-464A-9E51-C7F0A74D9649.jpeg
    81CB2E51-9A56-464A-9E51-C7F0A74D9649.jpeg
    209.9 KB · Views: 41
  • E51DF214-2C02-4391-8A1A-4F2E6DEECF8E.jpeg
    E51DF214-2C02-4391-8A1A-4F2E6DEECF8E.jpeg
    166.5 KB · Views: 42

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
Interesting tree, and you seem to know the problems with them as bonsai.

If you look at Paul H's tree in the photos from the 2016 ABS Spring Show, you can see, that for a tree this size, nearly 3 feet tall, the branches have long internodes and the leaves are large. It works because this tree is nearly 3 feet tall. But you can see this is not as refined as a similar age and size elm or hornbeam would be.

Of course, not all trees have to look the same. Not all deciduous trees have to be as refined as an elm or a hornbeam. But the point is, buckeye is a species with traits that make it difficult to work with as bonsai. Go big, plan on a larger size tree, and you should be able to create something nice. Work with the traits it has, and you will be okay.
 

Firstflush

Chumono
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,135
Location
NW Montucky
USDA Zone
3-4
Interesting tree, and you seem to know the problems with them as bonsai.

If you look at Paul H's tree in the photos from the 2016 ABS Spring Show, you can see, that for a tree this size, nearly 3 feet tall, the branches have long internodes and the leaves are large. It works because this tree is nearly 3 feet tall. But you can see this is not as refined as a similar age and size elm or hornbeam would be.

Of course, not all trees have to look the same. Not all deciduous trees have to be as refined as an elm or a hornbeam. But the point is, buckeye is a species with traits that make it difficult to work with as bonsai. Go big, plan on a larger size tree, and you should be able to create something nice. Work with the traits it has, and you will be okay.

I agree. Maybe sneak them in a park somewhere or keep one and play with it.
 

HorseloverFat

Squarepants with Conkers
Messages
11,356
Reaction score
16,220
Location
Northeast Wisconsin
USDA Zone
5a
I have a Horse Chestnut sapling.. it’s under snow right now... but I know Osoyoung has done some neat stuff with them... I can’t “summon” his/her username for some reason.
 

Firstflush

Chumono
Messages
982
Reaction score
1,135
Location
NW Montucky
USDA Zone
3-4
^^^This is the CA native variety which grows nowhere else in the world in the wild.
They are beautiful with long flower spikes of white when in bloom.
 

HorseloverFat

Squarepants with Conkers
Messages
11,356
Reaction score
16,220
Location
Northeast Wisconsin
USDA Zone
5a
Whoops! I was just going by the “Horse Chestnut” part.

Dem Californee trees be different.

🤓
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
I have a Horse Chestnut sapling.. it’s under snow right now... but I know Osoyoung has done some neat stuff with them... I can’t “summon” his/her username for some reason.
The reason your summoning powers have failed, is the 'O' in @0soyoung is actually a zero, not the letter.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

The Professor
Messages
11,337
Reaction score
23,254
Location
on the IL-WI border, a mile from ''da Lake''
USDA Zone
5b
I really like our local species of Aesculus, as a street tree or park tree. The flowers are beautiful, fruit is fun to chuck at the neighbor kid. Fond memories. It is just difficult for bonsai due to issues of proportions. Leaves and internodes don't reduce enough to "come together" as a traditional bonsai. However, you can put together an artistic tree, if you have the eye and the tree cooperates. Easier to go big, or go for small and a surrealistic representation, or abstract representation.
 
Top Bottom