| Scientific Name: | Aesculus hippocastanum |
| Common Name: | common horse chestnut |
| Family Name: | Sapindaceae |
| Origin: | Europe |
| Hardiness Zone: | Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C) |
| Plant Type: | Tree - deciduous |
| Mature Size: | 22 - 30m x 15 - 25m (height x width) |
| Habit: | Open, Upright |
| Form: | Round |
| Texture: | Coarse |
| Landscape Uses: | Specimen plant, Spring interest |
| Exposure: | Full sun, Part sun/part shade |
| Soil or Media: | Well-drained |
| Leaves: | Compound, Opposite, Heavily veined, Palmate venation, Pubescent, Digitate (palmate), Oblanceolate, Obovate, Double serrate |
| Flowers: | Thyrse, White, Apr-May |
| Fruit: | Capsule, Green, Brown, Sep-Oct |
| Key ID Features: | |
| Leaves large, palmately compound, petioles 8-20cm long; leaflets 5-7, obovate, of varying sizes with the largest central one 20-28cm long x 10-15cm wide; thyrse 10-20(-30)cm long x 6-13cm wide, flowers with 4 or 5 petals, white with pink markings; capsules, rounded, 2.5-6cm wide, with curved prickles 4-8mm long, splits along 3 carpel lines to release single glossy dark brown seed. Winter ID: fallen fruit parts; buds opposite, ovoid, large (2cm), brown and sticky; leaf scar large, with 7 distinct bundle scars. | |