Bark has a distinctive unpleasant odor. Seed is collected for good luck. The buckeyes are among the first trees to get their leaves in the spring and among the first to lose them in autumn. One of the most common trees at McConnell Springs. Inside twigs is chambered pinkish-brown pith.
Bud scars look like a monkey's face.
Members of this family include hickories and pecans. Common invasive ground cover in urban woodlots. Grows like ivy, often completely obscuring the ground beneath. Opposite simple leaves with serrate margins. Closely related to a popular landscaping plant, the burning bush, this ground cover was probably introduced for landscaping as an alternative to grass, and escaped to natural areas.