Mexican buckeye

While walking to my car each morning I pass a tree with blooming pink flowers. This tree is a Mexican-buckeye (Ungnadia speciosa) and is a native plant to central Texas. The multi-trunked distinct light gray bark make it easy to spot this tree even when the flowers are not in bloom. The bright-pink flowers are frequently visited by bees. They are used in urban landscapes due their pleasant floral aroma and rich color in the spring and summer and bright golden yellow leaves in the fall.buckeye_mexican

While the seeds look appetizing they are poisonous to humans. The seeds historically have been used as marbles or beads for jewelry making.

My iNaturalist post can be found here.