Buffalo Nut is a perennial shrub or small tree in the sandalwood family and native to the eastern United States. The plant is typically found in rich woods of the Appalachian Mountains, where it is parasitic on the roots of deciduous trees and shrubs. At maturity, it can reach a height of 10 to 15 feet. It is in flower from May to June. The flowers are initially green, turning to white. Buffalo Nut tolerates most soil types (sandy, loamy, and clay) as long as it is moist and well-drained. It does not do well in alkaline soils. It prefers a site in semi-shade (light woodland). Buffalo Nut is hemiparasite, that is, a plant that is photosynthetic, but also feeds off the roots of other trees and shrubs around it, most commonly Tsuga carolina (the Carolina Hemlock). To grow, it requires close proximity to a host tree. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. The fruit is permeated with an acrid oil.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Multi-stemmed
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Oblong; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are thin, ovate-oblong to obovate, 1 to 6 inches long, acute to rounded at base.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower form
Spike
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Inconspicuous spikes of green flowers appear in spring and turn to white by early summer. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant and requires both male and female plants to produce seed). The plant is not self-fertile.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Cream/Tan; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit size
< 1 inch long
Fruit detail
The pear-shaped fruit is about an inch long, greenish-yellow, maturing to red. Each drupe contains a single, oily nut/seed.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Maine, south to Georgia, west to Alabama and Tennessee.