Chestnut, Horse

Description

Aesculus hippocastanum

Appearing in May, individual flowers have 4–5 fringed petals, which are white with a pink flush at the base. Once pollinated by insects, each flower develops into a glossy red-brown conker inside a spiky green husk, which falls in autumn.

Horse chestnut trees can tolerate a wide range of soils, including dry, sandy soils, wet clays and chalk, but they grow best in moist, well-drained soils.

Horse chestnut also has wildlife value: the nuts provide food for deer and other mammals, and the flowers provide pollen for insects. The seeds are used for the game of conkers.