Horse chestnut

The horse chestnut was introduced to Britain in the late sixteenth century and has become with quintessential tree of village greens and city parks.

Can also be known as	Conkers Cheggies Obblyonkers (for fruit) Cacky Monkeys (sticky buds)
Generic name	Horse Chestnut
Latin name	Aesculus hippocastanum
Family name	Horse Chestnut
Latin family name	Hippocastanaceae

Is it a broadleaf or conifer?	It is a broadleaf
Does it lose its leaves in autumn?	Yes, it is deciduous

Average height	14-28m

Description	Generally 7 (sometimes 5 or 6) stalkless leaflets spreading from a central stem. The leafelts are jagged and double toothed/serrated
Shape	Palmate
Colour	Green
Leaf bud	Deep red-brown and sticky
Leaf stalk	Long stalk
Leaf arrangement	Opposite
Leaf burst usually occurs	April

Type of flower	Multiple flowers in spike
Flower size	The whole flower spike is up to 20cm in height
Flowering season	May
Tree/flower sex	Both sexes
Fruit colour	Glossy red-brown conker inside a green spiky husk
Fruit season	Autumn
Type of seed body	Nut
Seeds dispersed by	Wildlife

Bark description	Smooth and pinkey grey when young
Twig Description	Red-grey in colour and thick. The stems have horseshoe shaped marks left by the previous years leaves

Can easily be confused with?	Red horse chestnut- this has pinky red flowers, smaller crumpled leaves and the fruit husk is browner with few spines

Is it native or non-native to the British Isles?	Non-native - naturalised
Where is its natural range?	South East Europe- Northern Greece and Albania in particular
Preferred soil type or environmental conditions?	Grows best in in places of good soil moisture, fertility and full sun
What is its British conservation status?	Common

Is any part of the tree poisonous?	The nut is mildly poisonous
Human uses of tree and timber	The most famous use of horse chestnut is in the game of conkers. The first record of the game of conkers is from the Isle of Wight in 1848. The World Conker Championships are held in Northamptonshire every year. They attract thousands of people and participants from all over the world. Other uses of the conkers include horse medicines (claimed to be the origin of the name), as additives in shampoos and as a starch substitute. Research has shown that chemicals from conkers can be used to treat strains and bruises. More widely the tree was introduced for its ornamental nature and was widely planted in parks and gardens. It became so popular that in the early 1900s 'chestnut sundays' were born when large numbers of people would gather to see the blossom and picnic.
Tree lore and folklore	There is little folklore associated with the tree. However the games of conkers have different rules in different parts of the country which have their own jargon and often require the repeating of rhymes or rituals to decide who goes first

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Horse chestnut tree

Horse chestnut leaves

Spiny husk splits open - conker

Illustrations supplied by
Collins