Yellow Buckeye
- Aesculus octandra
This member of the Horse Chestnut family is the only species
of tree native to the mountains of North Carolina which has palmately
compound leaves. It's cousin, the Red
Buckeye, has this type of leaf but is not native. The
fruit is toxic but was eaten by American Indians after being
roasted and soaked to remove the toxins. Old timers in the region
thought that carrying a buckeye in your pocket would alleviate
the discomfort of arthritis.
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