Aesculus parviflora (Bottlebrush buckeye)

Bottlebrush buckeye is a deciduous shrub native to the southeastern United States.

Plants: A dense, mounded, multistemmed shrub, 6–12′ (1.8–3.7 m) tall. Plants spread by suckering.

Leaves: Opposite, palmate leaves have 5-7 leaflets. Leaflets are dark green, 4½–9 ⨉ 1¾–4″ (12–22 ⨉ 5–10 cm), with smooth edges. The central leaflet in largest. In the fall, leaves are yellow and green.

Flowers: Attractive upright-facing panicles are conical or cylindrical in shape, 8–20″ (20–50 cm) long. Flowers are tubular, white, with long pink stamens and red anthers. The white inflorescences resemble bottle brushes, hence the common name.

Fruits: Glossy inedible, pear-shaped nuts—“buckeyes”—are encased in bright yellow or light brown husks that are 2–3″ (5–7.6 cm) long.

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Sapindales	Includes citrus; maples, horse-chestnuts, lychees and rambutans; mangos and cashews; frankincense and myrrh; mahogany and neem
Family	Sapindaceae	Soapberry family
Genus	Aesculus	Means “edible acorn” (though some species are definitely not edible)
Species	parviflora	From the Greek parvus, “small,” and flora, “flower,” hence “small-flowered”

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Range: Zones 4-8:

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