Buckeyes bring good luck

The flowers of the Ohio buckeye tree are yellow. It is native to parts of the eastern U.S. with a range extending in an irregular-edged comma shape from western Pennsylvania to a point in south-central Texas.

The Ohio buckeye tree is widespread through most of Missouri, but it is rare to find one growing wild in Southeast Missouri. The red buckeye tree, which has red flowers, is native to the deep South and is the most common buckeye tree in Southeast Missouri.

I found this Ohio buckeye tree growing wild in Stoddard County. The Ohio buckeye tree is the state tree of Ohio.

You may look for a buckeye seed that has fallen to the ground in autumn when the leaves of the forest begin to turn colors. The seeds will be brown, semi-hard and about 1/3 the size of a golf ball. Carrying a buckeye seed in your pocket is supposed to bring good luck.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by Aaron at The Painted Wren Gallery.