Let's Know Some Trees 



15 



try to eat it. The wood is much the 

 most beautiful of our native woods 

 and is used commercially, though to a 

 limited extent, as the species occurs 

 only in scattered growth. Because of 

 its lovely red-brown, heavy hardwood, 

 California Laurel is well worth pre- 

 serving and planting. In the northern 

 coast counties it is known as " Pepper 

 Wood." 



THE BUCKEYE 



The Buckeye has been left until the 

 last of the trees, as the writer is un- 

 certain whether to group it with trees 

 or with those other ornamental treelike 

 shrubs — the Dogwood, the Fremontia, 

 and the larger Manzanitas. However, 

 the best Buckeyes outgrow all these 

 others, so it should probably be put 

 with the trees. 



The Buckeye is the first tree in the 

 Sierra foothills to put out new green 

 in the spring, the vivid 5-fingered 

 leaves shining against the white stems, 

 and followed by the glorious upright 

 spikes of fragrant bloom. Usually 

 from 10 to 20 feet high and 3 to 6 



inches in diameter, it occasionally 

 reaches a height of 30 feet and a di- 

 ameter of 20 inches. 



In the fall the Buckeye leaves are 

 the first to turn — a soft woods brown — 

 and then drop before other trees are 

 ready to lose their leaves. What re- 

 mains is the gray trunk and whitish 

 branches or the many white stems 

 of a shrub, from which hang the pear- 

 shaped, gray-green fruit. Shortly the 

 green outer husk splits and the glossy 

 brown eye looks out. Then in a few 

 days the ripened fruit falls. This 

 seed, the buckeye, is a thing of beauty, 

 but don't take it home. It will be 

 dull and shriveled very soon, and be- 

 sides the youngsters will be sure to 

 try to eat it. No : it isn't poisonous ; 

 it is liable, however, to produce nausea 

 and is sure to leave a most unpleasant 

 sting in mouth and throat, because it 

 contains so much " saponin " — essence 

 of soap, as one might say. 



The Buckeye, either as tree or bush, 

 is found almost anywhere in the west- 

 ern foothills of the Sierras, from 

 Mount Shasta to the Santa Barbara 

 Mountains, and in the Coast Ranges. 



