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Horse Chestnut

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Horse Chestnut – Aesculus hippocastanum: One of the most popular landscape and street trees in Europe, Horse Chestnut is valued for its upright panicles of showy spring flowers and good growth habits. However, it is only suitable for large landscapes, and its spiny seeds may require maintenance.

Characteristics

Average Landscape Height:
40 feet
Average Landscape Width:
40 feet
Growth Rate:
medium
Genus:
Aesculus
Species:
hippocastanum
Flower Color:
white
Flower Period:
in mid spring
Summer Foliage Color:
dark green
Fall Color:
yellow
Minimum Light:
partial shade
Maximum Light:
full sun
Minimum Moisture:
average
Maximum Moisture:
moist
Plant Form:
round
Canopy:
low
Pruning:
late winter pruning
Pollution Tolerance:
high
Other Species Names:
European Horsechestnut
Branching:
decurrent
Density:
dense

Ornamental Features

Horse Chestnut features bold spikes of white flowers with brick red centers rising above the foliage in mid spring. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The palmate leaves turn yellow in fall. However, the fruit can be messy in the landscape and may require occasional clean-up.

Landscape Attributes

Horse Chestnut is a dense deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other landscape plants with finer foliage.

Planting & Growing

Horse Chestnut will grow to be about 40 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 40 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 4 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.

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