Aesculus hippocastanum (Horse chestnut)

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Aesculus hippocastanum L.

Horse chestnut

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Magnoliopsida	Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
Subclass	Rosidae	Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
Order	Sapindales	Includes citrus; maples, horse-chestnuts, lychees and rambutans; mangos and cashews; frankincense and myrrh; mahogany and neem
Family	Sapindaceae	Soapberry family
Genus	Aesculus	Means “edible acorn” (though some species are definitely not edible)
Species	hippocastanum	“Horse chestnut,” because the shape on the stem after a leaf falls looks like a horseshoe

About plant names...

Horse-chestnuts are deciduous trees native to southeastern Europe, though they have become naturalized through many parts of Europe, and are a popular choice for parks and roadsides in the northern United States and Canada. They prefer sun or partial shade, and moist, well-drained soil. Horse-chestnuts are so named because of the leaf scar left on twigs after a leaf falls: a horseshoe shape, with seven “nails.”

Plants: Trees are 50-75′ (15-22 m) in height.

Leaves: Opposite, palmate, comprised of 5-7 leaflets. Each leaflet is 5-12″ (13-30 cm) long.

Flowers: White, with pink and yellow blotches at the base of the petals. They appear in erect, conical panicles 4-12″ (10-30 cm) tall, with 20-50 flowers in each panicle. Flowers appear in May.

Fruits: A leathery light brown husk studded with sharp spines, like a little land mine. The husks dry and crack open to reveal to beautiful smooth rounded mahogany brown chestnut, with a round beige-colored spot. Sometimes there are two or three chestnuts in a husk. Fruits ripen in September.

Edibility: Skull & Crossbones Unlike “real” American chestnuts, horse-chestnuts are poisonous.

Medical: Horse-chestnut has been used to treat dysentary, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, and vein problems. They contain a wide range of substances that have potential benefits as medicines, but in combination they are not safe, and more research is needed to find applications for the various components. Herbal remedies based on horsechestnut are not regulated, unsafe, and not a substitute for drugs prescribed by a doctor.

Online References:

Wikipedia

The Missouri Botanical Garden

Www.sciencedirect.com

Aesculus hippocastanum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 6 May 2023.

8/15/2010 · Bristol Harbor, Rhode Island

5/19/2021 · Highland Green, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 4 × 2½″ (10 × 7 cm)

Range: Zones 3-8:

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