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Project Noah Nature School
Aesculus glabra
A average-sized tree that produces an enormous crop of fruit (?) every year in early fall. It seems like it belongs in the tropics and yet it grows in north-western Minnesota and appears to be thriving. I've never seen it bloom but it must, right, to produce these seed pods or fruit?
On a private, one-lane road less than 1/2 a city block away from a fresh water lake (Lake Blanche) in full sun and fairly sandy soil conditions
I'm really curious what tree this could be. As stated earlier, it seems like something you'd see growing in Hawaii or Central America not in the coldest area of the upper Midwest (zone 3 I believe) in North America. The people who own this tree have two, one on either side of their driveway. Both trees appear to be full-grown, strong and healthy. While they produce a huge fruit (?) crop every fall, I've never seen any animals eating them so they may not be edible or perhaps I'm just not seeing whatever does eat them do so.
Thank you helping me identify this tree with the cool-looking fruit Anthony8, Mauron and sarah in the woods! :-)))
In Minnesota, you have two introduced species of aesculus: Ohio buckeye and European horse chestnut. This looks more like ohio buckeye because of the tiny teeth on the leaves and all the spikes on the fruit as well as the way the fruit is divided into three sections. The flowers on this will be white. Red buckeye is a small tree or shrub with red flowers. It grows in the south.
Spotted on Aug 28, 2013
Submitted on Feb 16, 2014
