Horse Chestnut

Categories: Ornamental Trees, Plants, Trees

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.

Horse Chestnut

Characteristics

Ornamental Features

Landscape Attributes

Planting & Growing

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Horse Chestnut

Characteristics

Ornamental Features

Landscape Attributes

Planting & Growing

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