common horse chestnut - KPU Plant DB

Scientific Name:

Aesculus hippocastanum

Pronunciation:

ESS-kew-lus hip-oh-kass-TAY-num

Common Name:

common horse chestnut

Family Name:

Sapindaceae

Plant Type:

Tree - deciduous

Key ID Features:

Leaf large, palmately compound with 5 obovate leaflets, cental one up to 30cm long; florets with 4 or 5 petals, white with pink markings, in 20cm long panicles; fruit large spiny capsule, splits to release large, glossy brown seed. Winter ID: buds opposite, ovoid, large (2cm), brown, and sticky; leaf scar large, with 7 distinct bundle scars. buds brown large, ovoid, and varnished with sticky gum

Habit:

Open, Upright

Form:

Round

Texture:

Coarse

Mature Height:

22 - 30m

Mature Spread:

15 - 25m

Growth Rate:

Moderate

Origin:

Europe

Hardiness Rating:

Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)

Exposure:

Full sun, Part sun/part shade

Soil/Growing Medium:

Well-drained

Water Use:

Moderate

Landscape Uses:

Specimen plant, Spring interest

Additional Info:

Google

Leaf Morphology:

Glossary

Form:

Compound

Arrangement:

Opposite

Texture/Venation:

Heavily veined, Palmate venation

Surfaces:

Glabrous

Compound Leaf:

Digitate (palmate)

Colour in Fall:

Yellow, Brown

Shapes:

Obovate

Apices:

Acuminate

Bases:

Cuneate

Margins:

Double serrate

Additional Info:

leaflets 13 - 30cm long

Inflorescence Type:

Thyrse, Floriferous, Panicle-like

Flower Morphology:

Flowers perfect

Number Of Petals:

4

Corolla Shape:

Rotate/stellate

Ovary Position:

Superior

Colour (petals):

Showy, White

Flower Time at Peak:

Apr, May

Additional Info:

20 to 50 florets per panicle (actually a thyrse because the branches are cymose)

Fruit Type:

Capsule

Fruit Colour:

Green, Brown

Fruiting Time:

Sep, Oct

Additional Info:

Showy, only 1 to 5 develop per panicle; spiny and nut-like but splits along carpel lines to release a single (rarely 2 or 3) seed which is poisonous

Bark Morphology:

Plated

Bark or Stem Colour:

Grey, Brown

Leaf Bud Type:

Ovoid

Leaf Scar Shape:

U-shaped

Propagation:

Seed, Grafting

Pest Susceptibility:

Anthracnose, Fungal leaf spot, Heteroptera - true bugs, Leaf scorch (Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)

Specific Pests:

Psyllids, Leafhoppers, Leaf blotch fungus, Leaf scorch

Course(s):

AARB 1012
CLT Training
HORT 1155
Level 1 Apprenticeship

Location(s):

(BCW) Boulevard (Circular) Westend : 287, 288, 289, 290
(BGR) Boulevard by Glover Road : 291, 292
(NRY) NuRserY : 567, 568, 569, 570, 571, 572, 573, 574, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 580, 587
(QRR) Quercus Robur Row planting : 135, 136

Location Map