Aesculus trees

We have lots of Aesculus trees on our farm - probably too many. In North American we know the Aesculus as Buckeyes, in Eurasian they are called Horse-chestnuts (the word "horse" meaning strength or inedibility). “Buckeye” comes from the similarity to the brown eyes of male deer.

Buckeye nuts contain a concentrated saponin-class toxin called Aesculin (which destroys red blood cells). Only a few animals, such as deer and squirrels are resistant to this toxin and can eat the nuts.

A Kentucky arborist once told me that buckeyes were totally useless trees, but in the past they did have uses. Native American tribes knew how to make a wholesome starchy porridge out of the nuts by leaching and pulverized them in boiling water – which neutralized the saponin toxin. In addition, Horse-chestnut seeds were used in France and Switzerland to make a soap for whitening hemp, flax, silk and wool fibers. And of course because of their size and beauty, most kids love buckeyes. Perhaps that’s why children in Britain and Ireland use them in the game conkers.