Habitat: Preferring moist, deep,
fertile, well-drained, slightly acid soils,
this species grows in wooded river valleys, usually on floodplains and moist
slopes, but sometimes in dry, level uplands. Full sun or partial shade is
suitable for this species, but leaf scorch and defoliation will occur if
it is exposed to hot, dry conditions.
Diseases: Leaf blotch is a serious disease of the Ohio buckeye and powdery mildew, wood rot, anthracnose, canker, leaf spot, Verticillium wilt, comstock mealybug, and walnut scale may also be problematic. Although the aesthetic appearance of trees may be spoiled, they are seldom killed or seriously damaged by these infestations.
Distribution: Although it is the state tree of Ohio, this species is native to most of the east-central US-from Pennsylvania to Nebraska, Kansas and Alabama. Hardy from zone 3 to 7, it is native in Iowa south of a line from Mills County northeast to Boone County and east to Clinton County. It is cultivated or has escaped to grow elsewhere in the state.
