Yellow buckeye leaves are compound with 5 leaflets that are toothed and connected like blades on a pinwheel. Buckeye twigs are relatively large and are shaped like bullets at their ends. The bark of the tree is grayish brown and might become quite shaggy on older trees. The nut is shiny and a rich brown color that feels smooth in your hands. Fall color is yellow to orange.

The champion Yellow buckeye is found in the Great Smoky Mountains and is 136' tall and 19'1'' in circumference. The Cherokee use Yellow buckeye wood for ceremonial masks. The common name for this tree comes from settlers who liken the nut to the eye of a buck deer.