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Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)

Shrub
View Images of Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)
Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Red Buckeye
Aesculus pavia
Hippocastanaceae

Saponins in the seed and roots are a soap substitute[149, 169]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[K].

  • Medicinal Use

    The powdered bark is hypnotic and odontalgic. It is used in the treatment of ulcers[149, 192, 227].

    A poultice of the powdered seeds has been used in the treatment of cancer tumours and infections, and as a salve for sores[257].

    An infusion of the roots has been used as a bath in the treatment of dyspepsia[257].

  • Edible Use

    Seed – cooked. It can be dried and ground into a powder and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, about 25mm in diameter[227], and is easily harvested. Unfortunately, the seed is also rich in saponins and these need to be removed before it can be eaten. See also the notes above on toxicity.

    The following notes apply to A. californica, but are probably also relevant here:-

    The seed needs to be leached of toxins before it becomes safe to eat – the Indians would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 – 5 days[213]. Most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out by this treatment[K].

  • Cautionary Notes

    The seed is rich in saponins[169]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[11, 80]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[130]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[80, 113]. It is best to sow the seed with its ‘scar’ downwards[130]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. Division of suckers in the dormant season[200]. The suckers can be planted out straight into their permanent positions if required.
Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[1, 11]. Very shade tolerant, it also succeeds in a sunny position[200]. A very ornamental shrub, when dormant it is hardy to about -15¡c[184] though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. It prefers a continental climate, growing best in eastern and south-eastern England[200]. Trees are fast-growing in the wild, though they are also short-lived[229]. They can commence flowering when only 1 metre tall[229]. Plants spread by means of suckers[200]. There are a number of named varieties, developed for their ornamental value. Var. ‘Humilis’ is a low growing form[182]. Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[11].
South-eastern N. America – Virginia to Florida, west to Louisiana.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.

As with ALL things; Take only what resonates with your heart and higher self, and leave the rest behind.

Repository of Divination tools, News, Elements, Spells, Rituals, Clearings, Entities, Ascension; Kitty is a magpie at heart, gathering information trinkets from everywhere and sharing them here in hopes that some might shine a light on your journey in this Incarnation. Please only take what resonates with your heart and leave the rest behind. Tionscadal Mo Chroi (Project of my heart) Lovingly curated by Kitty, bean draío leabharlannaí (Librarian Witch)

  • For any question, you can cast a handful or bag of Runes and read the meaning of the runes that land face up only.
  • You may cast them into a circle (drawn with chalk or as a pattern on a cloth). Read the runes that land inside the circle AND face up.
  • If The Eye (Witches Rune) or Tiwaz (Elder Futhark) appears amongst the runes when cast, pay extra attention to where the eye is looking or Tiwaz is pointing.
  • Pro Tip: You can also use runes just as you would the Tarot, with ANY tarot spread. Simply pull one at a time from your bag to fill the layout.

*while Witches’ and Elder Futhark are different sets of runes, (just as English and Gaelic are different languages) I use mine together;  my rune casts are “bilingual”. I have made the same choice in my online rune layouts. Alainn Tarot interactive includes both sets at the same time. 

These are plants that grow in my own yard or elements that I keep in stock personally, gathered in a single category for my own quick navigation.