California buckeye (Aesculus
californica) is a large shrub, or small tree, that is endemic to California
and used in landscaping. Its leaves are palmately compound; flowers are panicles
with many tiny, cream-to-pale-pink blossoms in spring; seeds are large, pear-shaped,
and ripen in late fall. California buckeye grows on dry slopes, in
canyons, near water, in open grassland, or in the forest understory. In the San
Francisco Bay Area, the shrub thrives in the redwood forest, mixed evergreen
forest, oak woodland, and chaparral plant communities.
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| California buckeye spring blossoms in Leona Canyon. |
California buckeye is toxic – its bark, leaves, stems,
fruits, and seeds contain glycosidal compounds, which depress the central
nervous system when ingested. This can cause harm to wildlife, livestock, non-native
bees, and people. Even with this toxicity, many creatures eat the leaves, flowers,
and shoots. The seeds are high in carbohydrates, and include protein, fat, and fiber.
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| California buckeye poisonous fruit in the fall. Photo by Eugene Zelenko, used under Creative Common license (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aesculus_californica-28.jpg). |
California native peoples used the seeds as a food source. They
developed methods of roasting, mashing, leaching, and cooking the seeds to remove
the poison. California natives also used the seeds in streams and ponds to partially
paralyze fish, making them easier to catch, without poisoning the fish or water.
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