First Blooms

These are the very new blossoms of the Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia), a large shrub or small tree native to the southern and eastern part of the U.S. It's tubular, dark red flowers will grow in 4-7" clusters and are hermaphrodite, having the reproductive organs of both male and female. Their fruits are rich in saponins, which are poisonous to humans but aren't ingested easily. Oils from the fruit can be extracted to make soap, but this isn't 'viable commercially'. The bees and hummingbirds absolutely adore them! Red Buckeyes are the first trees in my yard to loose their leaves in the late summer or very early fall and are the first to begin to blossom in late winter, early spring. I began with just one small tree purchased at a native plant sale...now I have ten or more trees of various sizes in the yard because I like to gather and toss the seeds...where ever!