It can reach a height of 110 feet and a diameter of 4 feet. Its leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, twigs, and buds resemble those of the Ohio buckeye, but it is a more massive tree. The leaves are opposite, palmately compound, and have five, and sometimes seven, leaflets. The entire lower leaf surface is more permanently pubescent in this tree than in the Ohio buckeye. Fall color is an attractive, soft orange.
Foliage is resistant to the leaf-blotch problems experienced by Ohio buckeye.
The buds are non-resinous. The sticky-bud characteristic is very helpful in distinguishing this tree from the horsechestnut, which has very resinous buds. It can be distinguished from Ohio buckeye by its smoother and lighter-colored bark as well as its larger size. Flowers are yellow and bloom in May or June. The anthers of its flowers remain within the corolla, while those of the Ohio buckeye extend beyond the corolla.