Its a Southern Thing!

  Around back of the house, a small Red Buckeye tree is in full bloom.  I love this little tree and have babied it along through hurricanes and ice storms.  It has sort of become a bit of a symbol of endurance for me.  I can always look at the Red Buckeye and be more determined than ever that things are going to be A-Ok.  Years and years ago, a dear sweet friend of mine gave me the tree.  It had come up in the woods behind her house and when she offered it to me, I immediately accepted.  I had always wanted one in the yard ever since I had seen one while picking Huckleberries as a kid. When "Ms. Twin" offered, I quickly connived Mark into digging up the sapling for me!  (He never complained when I would find some tree or flower in the woods or on the side of the road.)  The sapling was toted back to the Little Bayou House and given a good home in the flower bed.  There it has struggled through so many dire incidents but just kept on growing. Today, the little tree is obviously happy as it is covered with the red blooms and this, in turn, makes the hummingbirds happy which, in turn, makes me happy!  So as far as I can see, this seems to be a win/win situation for all of us!  

  The Red Buckeye is a small tree that is native to the southern and eastern portions of the United States.  It grows wild in the woods and along roadsides.  There it attracts hummingbirds and butterflies in droves.  The tree can successfully be grown from seed and is quick to bloom (sometimes during its second summer!)  The seeds resemble large nuts but are poisonous to humans and wildlife.  If you wish to grow a Red Buckeye from seed, it is best to plant the nut as soon as the case opens.  Otherwise, the seed will dry out quickly preventing it from sprouting.  One of the tiny seedling buckeye trees that I sprouted this last fall has made its way to my sister's place. She and I share plants every spring and this year I surprised her with a small seedling Red Buckeye!  She did seem to love it as much as I do mine!  If the other plants and trees at her place are any indication of how the tree will do, it will be blooming this next spring!  

  Now a bit of trivia about the Red Buckeye tree!  There is a tale of how long ago folks would crush the seeds to a powder and use this to stun fish in ponds and lakes.  The drunken (poisoned) fish would rise to the surface and be easily captured.  This is all fine and dandy but it sure makes you wonder how safe that fish was to eat!  Still it just goes to show that a bit of ingenuity can go a long way.