Aesculus parviflora/Bottlebrush Buckeye
A magnificent shrub native from the Carolinas south to Alabama and Florida, which woody plant expert MIchael Dirr calls "truly one of the best native shrubs for late-spring and early- summer flowers." My original five are spreading to create a nice little grove in the woods.
Details
- Grows to 8-15' tall and wide.
- Hardy in Zones 4-8.
- Grows 2 to 4 feet per year.
- Flowers in mid-summer.
- Full sun or partial shade. Mine have total woodland cover (high shade) and are doing fine. In fact, it's unusual in that it flowers almost as much in full shade as in sun.
- I've read that its suckering "can colonize a large piece of real estate." Sounds good to me.
Care
- No pruning is required, though old ones are sometimes rejuvenated by pruning them to the ground.
- Mine have received no supplemental water since their first year.
Stories from the Garden
Layanee DeMerchant in Rhode Island sent me her blog post about this very plant.
Location Matters
I've grown this plant in the Washington, D.C. area, Zone 7A. If you've grown it and have comments you'd like to see included here, send 'em along, and tell me where you garden.
More Great Info in Print
- Dirr's Hardy Trees and Shrubs
by the best-known authority on the subject. - Taylor's Guide to Shrubs
is another good one.