Just Don't Eat Them!

   Early this afternoon, Son and I were out doing a bit of yard work when I noticed some beautiful "nuts" on the ground near the citrus trees.  Uh, oh!  Time to grab a bucket and start gathering.  The chore brought back memories of being on the farm and picking up pecans each fall but these "nuts" were not nearly as nice.  You see, what I was gathering today were not nuts.  They were the seeds of the Red Buckeye Tree.  Although the seeds greatly resemble chestnuts when free from their outer case, there is a HUGE difference.  Buckeye seeds are highly toxic.  If eaten, they can cause many, many problems even death.  So a warning....never eat buckeyes!  In fact, the seeds of the buckeye tree are toxic to animals as well.  Deer, squirrels and raccoons love nuts but will not touch these as they know...you just do not eat these things!  Supposedly, the toxicity can be lessened if the seeds are prepared correctly by boiling and leaching them but why take the chance?  It seems to be a lot more logical to gather the hickory nuts that simply go to waste because of their hard shells.  Those are edible just difficult to open.  I would rather smack something edible with a hammer than take a chance of eating something poisonous.

  So. at this point, you may ask why I was so intent on gathering the seeds?  Well, it is a simple fact that each of these seeds will drop, sprout and make yet another tree.  Then, I would be gathering thousands of seeds instead of the fifty or so that were on the ground today.  While I love the gorgeous blooms in the spring, I am not a fan of stumbling over the seeds during the fall and winter.  It is just easier to pick up the seeds and dispose of them.  

  Before I throw them in the burn bin, however, I always have to admire the beauty of the woodgrain on the seeds.  When the outer husks split open the seeds are a rich reddish-brown and are quite shiny.  After drying for a few days, they become almost black and are rather dull.  The change is amazingly quick.  It is said that if you wish to sprout the seeds, you must plant them while they are still fresh.  Once they dry, the seeds are no longer viable.  

  So, folks.  As tempting as it may be, please do NOT eat the buckeye seeds!  You have been warned!  This is one case where something that looks so good is not edible.  Looks can be deceiving, for sure!