The Buckeye is well suited to the summer heat of California grasslands and foothills. The tree opts to shed its leaves during the rainless months of summer.
Autumn finds the maturation of a spiny, pear-like fruit.
The fruit is green initially, evolving to a deep brown color and containing a smooth, brown, glossy nut. In late winter the buckeye will again produce its green, leathery leaves. Each leaf is three to six inches long. Late spring concludes the seasonal cycle, when long plumes of feathery, creamy white-pink blossoms adorn the tree. The buckeye tree grows to 15 or 20 feet tall and 20 or more feet wide.