I am myself and what is around me, and if I do not save it, it shall not save me. Yellow Buckeye Buckeyes are distinctive trees, known for their early spring flowers and for the seeds that have inspired the name of this unique family of trees. These seeds are popularly believed to bring good luck, and school children especially still carry them in their pockets as a charm. And while highly poisonous, buckeye seeds contain much protein and were used as a food source by Native Americans who boiled and leached them to remove their toxins.
Buckeyes are often small trees, with a spread nearly equal to their height.
Ohio and yellow buckeyes are some of the larger species in this family, with heights of 50 feet or more. What makes buckeyes especially unique is their early spring flowers, which bloom as early as many woodland wildflowers. As well as greening up early, buckeyes also lose their leaves before most other trees in the fall. The wood of the buckeyes is pale and light, and it is sometimes used for paper, crate, and novelty item production. There are seven species of buckeye native to the United States, mostly found in the eastern half of the country.