Ohio Buckeye Tree

The Ohio buckeye, Aesculus glabra, grows in mesic woods and bottomlands and typically reaches 20 to 40 feet in height and width. Hummingbirds are attracted to its flowers, and some wildlife species eat its seeds, although the raw seeds are poisonous to humans and most domestic livestock. Historically, its light, soft wood was used for pulpwood, woodenware, and the production of artificial limbs. Native Americans called the nut hetuck, meaning "buck eye," because markings on the nut resembled the eye of a deer. Ohioans came to be called Buckeyes during the presidential election of 1840, when William Henry Harrison's supporters wore buckeye necklaces and carved campaign souvenirs from buckeye wood to identify him as a fellow Ohioan. In 1953, the Ohio buckeye became the state tree of Ohio.

Ohio · United States