Mexican Buckeye

Name: Mexican Buckeye
Brand: Outdoor Dream Builders

Ungnadia speciosa

A large deciduous tree with showy pink spring flowers and interesting seed pods, offering generous shade.

Cold hardy to about 0-10°F from low to high desert; deciduous, frost hardy, and heat tolerant.

AMWUA Notes

Low water; valued for spring bloom and fall color, though its seeds are toxic.

Care Guide

💧Watering

Deep-soak every two weeks in summer once established; a bit more water helps in reflected heat.

✂️Pruning

Train the multi-trunk form to a small tree or leave as a large shrub; prune after spring bloom since flowers form on old wood, and remove suckers.

🌱Fertilizing

Minimal feeding.

🛡️Pests

Essentially pest-free.

☀️Seasonal Notes

Fragrant pink flowers in early spring before or with the leaves; deciduous with fall color and three-lobed pods holding toxic seeds.

🪨Soil

Well-draining rocky, limestone, or decomposed-granite soil; tolerates caliche and alkaline pH 7.5–8.5

💧Drainage

Needs well-drained soil.

🌱Nutrient Needs

Low feeder.

🌰Propagation

Grown from seed (the toxic dark seeds) or from softwood cuttings

📐Spacing

20–30 ft

🌳Roots & Placement

Non-aggressive roots are foundation-safe; site away from play areas because the seeds are toxic if eaten

•Give room for the wide spread; a good understory or garden-edge tree that tolerates part shade.
•Seed pods drop and the seeds are toxic if eaten, so site away from areas where pets or children play.
•Deciduous in winter, so pair with evergreens for year-round structure.
•Thornless and pool-safe at a moderate distance.