Aesculus hippocastanum (horse chestnut)

horse chestnut leaves

Leaf type: Palmately compound, 5 to 7 leaflets
Leaf margin: Serrated
Phyllotaxis: Opposite
Colour: Green
Life cycle: Deciduous tree

Leaf (upper side)

Aesculus hippocastanum leaves
The palmately compound leaves of the horse chestnut consist of five to seven leaflets.
horse chestnut young leaves
Young leaves in spring.
horse chestnut seedlings
Horse chestnut seedlings.

Growth habit & biology

Aesculus hippocastanum is a deciduous tree that can grow up to 30 meters tall. The palmate leaves consist of five to seven leaflets up to 25 centimeters long. The central leaflet is the longest.

horse chestnut canopy
The canopy of a horse chestnut tree.
Mature horse chestnut tree
Mature horse chestnut tree in a park.

Distribution & habitates

Its native range is in southeastern Europe (source). Aesculus hippocastanum arrived in Central Europe in the 16th century; it is planted here as a street tree or in parks, has naturalized in some areas, and is considered naturalized in the DACH region, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. The species is also reported to be naturalized in some North American regions.

horse chestnut stree tree
Aesculus hippocastanum is also used as a street tree.

Botany

The horse chestnut or European horsechestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) belongs to the subfamily Hippocastanoideae within the family Sapindaceae. It is not related to the sweet chestnut, from which edible chestnuts are derived, but rather to the maples.

Aesculus hippocastanum flowers
Aesculus hippocastanum can bloom from mid-to-late April through June (in Central Europe).