The name derives from the dark brown, shiny seeds, which could resemble the eye of a horse. A striking specimen tree, this species has a rounded or oval crown and attractive foliage.
Leaves are dark green, turning an unimpressive light yellow or brown in the fall.
The showy flowers are produced after the leaves in May and June in large, upright panicles about 1 foot long. Each flower is white streaked with red or yellow, with long, yellow, protruding stamens. The capsule turns from green to brown, is thick and leathery and bears pointed spines. The buds are ovoid, varnished with a sticky gum, and bear 4 to 6 pairs of large scales. The terminal bud is 0.5 to 1 inch long.