Autumn Splendor Buckeye #15

The Autumn Splendor Buckeye (Aesculus × arnoldiana 'Autumn Splendor') is a premier hybrid shade tree highly celebrated for its spectacular, fiery orange-to-red fall color. Originally discovered as a spontaneous cross at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum, this plant blends the best traits of the Ohio, yellow, and red buckeyes. It provides a cleaner, tougher, and more resilient alternative to traditional horse chestnuts.

• Size and Shape: It reaches a manageable mature height of 30–40 feet and a width of 25–35 feet, developing a dense, symmetrically rounded canopy perfect for residential lawns. 
• Showy Blooms: In late spring, the tree produces striking, 6-inch-tall upright panicles of creamy yellow flowers accented with red markings that heavily attract hummingbirds and butterflies. 
• Foliage Upgrade: It features bold, tropical-looking dark green palmate leaves. Unlike ordinary varieties that brown and tatter by mid-summer, its leaves are notably leaf-scorch resistant. 
• Ornamental Fruit: In autumn, it yields glossy brown, non-edible nuts encased in yellowish-brown husked capsules. 
• Hardiness: Remarkably cold-tolerant, it thrives in USDA Hardiness Zones 3–7 and can survive winters down to -40°F.
• Sunlight: Prefers full sun (6+ hours daily) to generate its signature brilliant fall colors, though it tolerates partial shade.
• Soil & Water: Highly adaptable to diverse soil profiles, including clay-loam. It thrives best with consistent, moderate moisture and well-drained conditions.
• Pest & Wildlife: It boasts excellent resistance to most diseases and is generally avoided by deer.