Clicking any heading in the main data area (at right) will scroll the page back to this top position. Use the following links to jump to the associated section in the main data. Boring Carving Comments Common Names Common Uses Countries of Distribution Cutting Resistance Distribution Overview Drying Defects Ease of Drying Environmental Profile Family Name Grain Heartwood Color Kiln Schedules Mortising Moulding Natural Durability Numerical Data Odor Planing Polishing Product Sources References Regions of Distribution Routing & Recessing Scientific Name Staining Strength Properties Texture Trade Name Tree Size Turning		Scientific Name Aesculus glabra Trade Name Ohio buckeye Family Name Hippocastanaceae Common Names Buckeye, Fetid buckeye, Ohio buckeye, Stinking buckeye Regions of Distribution North America Countries of Distribution  [VIEW MAP] United States Common Uses Boxes and crates, Carvings, Pulpwood, Turnery, Woodenware Environmental Profile Status unknown in many of its growth areas Distribution Overview Grows in the midwestern US, from southern Michigan south to northern Alabama, western Pennsylvania west to Kansas, Oklahoma, and central Texas. Disjunct populations grwon in Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan. Ohio buckeye is a scattered tree of bottomlands, stream banks and other wet to mesic, cool sites; also in oldfields. It does not occur in pure stands, but as scattered individuals. It is shade tolerant and saplings are common in forest understories. Throughout its range, it is now common as a hedgerow species, particularly on limestone-derived soils. Heartwood Color White The color of the wood is nearly white, with occasional streaks of light gray Grain Even Closed Figure Straight Wavy Rippled (figure) Wavy Straight Rippled figure Ripple figure when cut radially Texture Very fine Very fine Natural Durability Perishable Non-durable Very little natural resistance A fungus disease which attacks the tree can be controlled by spraying and removing all fallen infected leaves and fruits Odor Has an odor No specific smell or taste May have a slightly disagreeable smell when green Kiln Schedules 10 - F4 (4/4); T8 - F3 (8/4) U Drying Defects Checking Splitting Slight checking and cracking Ease of Drying Reconditioning Treatement Little degrade Fairly Easy Little degrade if dried properly Easy Air-dries rather well Tree Size Tree height is 10-20 m Product Sources Commercial quantities of the wood are rather limited, and it is often sold as Buckeye in a mixture with other species. Adequate supplies of ripple-figured, stained buckeye are available for small projects. Comments Generally strong and tough for its weight. Boring Fair to good results Fairly easy to very easy Carving Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Cutting Resistance Easy to saw Easy to saw Mortising Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Moulding Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Planing Responds well to all types of tools in most machining operations. Material with spiral grain is rather difficult to split into straight sticks Routing & Recessing Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Turning Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Polishing Very Good to Excellent Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy Smoothed surface can be easily written on Excellent results Staining Fair to Good Results Fairly Easy to Very Easy A natural finish has been recommended for wood with discoloration Strength Properties Density (dry weight) = 31-37 lbs/cu. ft. Numerical Data Item Green Dry English Density 32 lbs/ft3 Item Green Dry Metric References Boone, R.S., C.J. Kozlik, P.J. Bois and E.M. Wengert. 1988. Dry Kiln Schedules for Commercial Woods: Temperate and Tropical. United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI. Constantine Jr., A. 1959. Know Your Woods. Revised Edition, 1975. Revised by H.J. Hobbs. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Kline, M. 1978. Aesculus glabra - Ohio buckeye. In A Guide to Useful Woods of the World. Flynn Jr., J.H., Editor. King Philip Publishing Co., New York. Little, E.L. 1980. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees - Eastern Region. Published by Arthur A. Knopf, New York.