What Is A Buckeye? - Ohio State (2024)

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What Is A Buckeye? - Ohio State? ›

Buckeyes. A small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree. According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck.

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Ohio State University, located in Columbus, Ohio. The athletic programs are named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and after the state tree, the Ohio buckeye.

Poisonous Plant: All parts of the plant (leaves, bark, fruit) are highly toxic if ingested – because of the glycoside aesculin, the saponin aescin, and possibly alkaloids. Symptoms are muscle weakness and paralysis, dilated pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, depression, paralysis, and stupor.

The Buckeye's Place in History

As well as the belief in the good fortune of its storied seed, the buckeye has been held to cure rheumatism and other, more minor ailments. Pioneering farm families also made soap from the kernels of buckeye seeds, and many a child's cradle was carved from the wood of this tree.

At the time, mascots were generally animals brought into the stadium or arena. A buck deer was contemplated, but, because bringing live animals as mascots was common at the time, this was rejected as impossible. Instead, the buckeye was selected, as the buckeye is the official state tree of Ohio.

The buckeye was named the state tree of Ohio in 1953. The term buckeye has widely been used to describe residents of Ohio in general since the mid 1800s. It became popular when supporters of William Henry Harrison's successful presidential campaign carved souvenirs out of buckeye wood.

A small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree. According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck.

Squirrels are said to be the only animal to eat buckeyes without ill effect. All parts of the tree are toxic — leaves, bark and nuts — because of compounds that cause muscle weakness, paralysis, intestinal distress and vomiting. But squirrels somehow bypass the results felt by cattle, horses and other animals.

Do deer eat buckeyes? No, they don't. Buckeyes are poisonous to ruminants like cattle, so deer are not far behind. Buckeyes are also toxic to humans and many other animals, so you need to consider the drawbacks before choosing to cultivate them.

Only recently fallen nuts are viable for planting. Because it can be difficult knowing how recently a Buckeye seed has fallen to the ground, experts with the Ohio Division of Forestry, suggest soaking your recently collected Buckeyes in water for two to four hours before planting.

What is the myth about buckeye nuts? ›

Some even believed that carrying a buckeye nut could bring good luck similar to a rabbit's foot or a four-leaf clover. The buckeye continued to resonate with Ohioans and became the state tree in 1953.

Buckeyes. A small, shiny, dark brown nut with a light tan patch that comes from the official state tree of Ohio, the buckeye tree. According to folklore, the Buckeye resembles the eye of a deer and carrying one brings good luck.

The Ohio State University was established in 1870 as a land-grant university (then called the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College) under the provisions of the Morrill Act of 1862. Instruction began in 1873 on a farm near Columbus. The name was changed to The Ohio State University in 1878.

The year was 1968 -- that much of the story we know. According to Ohio State lore, the Buckeyes were on the cusp of a championship campaign when longtime trainer Ernie Biggs conceived of the idea of awarding players helmet stickers resembling buckeye leaves, presumably for motivational purposes.

Buckeyes

The Ohio State University / Nickname