To survive the dry Californian summers, buckeyes are summer deciduous - the leaves drop in late June through July and return in February with the rains. By dropping their leaves during the hot dry months, the trees save their resources for the more productive winter and spring months. Their flowers, both beautiful and fragrant, are poisonous to Honey bees and are instead pollinated by moths and flies. The seeds you see drooping on the branches from July through November are also poisonous. Native Americans used the ground seed to stun fish for easy capture.
Buckeyes favor cool canyons, stream corridors, and moist north facing slopes.
They are best seen on the Old Pinnacles, Moses Springs and Bear Gulch Trails. Each leaflet with a fine saw-toothed edge. The fuzzy cotton-like flowers and seeds are the namesake for this tree. In early spring, the flowers appear on bare branches, the leaves emerging in late spring. Summer finds cottonwoods in full leaf, providing much desired shade.