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Aesculus glabra
Ohio buckeye
Deciduous tree
(1 Page of 5)

 
The Aesculus glabra plant species is found in Southeastern and Central N. America - Pennsylvania to Nebraska, south to Tennessee and Oklahoma. It is a member of the Hippocastanaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Ohio buckeye.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses
 
Latin Name:  Aesculus glabra
Common Name:  Ohio buckeye
Family:  Hippocastanaceae
Author:  Willd.
 
Known Hazards:  The seed is rich in saponins. 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 advisible 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].
 
Mature Height:  20   Mature Width:  
 
Habitat:  Usually found in moist sites such as river bottoms and streambank soils, but it is sometimes also found on drier sites though does not grow so well there[229].



Edible Uses:  Seed - cooked[222]. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, up to 35mm in diameter[82], and is easily harvested[K]. It is quite rich in saponins and needs to be leached of these 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. By this time most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out[K].

For further Aesculus glabra gardening information
click on one of the blue links below

 
Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses
 

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
View their bibliography
Useful Edible Plants Future

 


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