How to identify a horse chestnut tree

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How do you identify a horse chestnut tree?

Wondering if you are looking at a horse chestnut tree? Your clues are their leaves, buds, flowers and seeds. Here’s what they look like at-a-glance:

Horse chestnut tree facts

Hello! In today’s guide we are going to learn how to identify a horse chestnut tree. Are you ready? Let’s get started! Here are a few horse chestnut facts:

Common name: Horse chestnut
Latin name: Aesculus hippocastanum
Family: Hippocastanaceae

Horse chestnut trees can grow up to 40 meters tall, live for up to 300 years and can be found growing in parks, country estates, large gardens and planted along city streets.

Horse chestnut leaves

Horse chestnut leaves are are palmate, with around 5-7 toothed leaflets. When they fall, the leaves leave behind a dotted, horse-shoe shaped scar on the twig.

Horse chestnut buds

Their buds are large, reddish brown, quite shiny and often very sticky.

Horse chestnut flowers

The flowers have 4-5 petals, tinged with pink or yellow, tassled and grow in a large, upright cluster or inflorescence.

Horse chestnut seeds

Its seeds, or conkers, are large, round, chestnut brown with a round white patch, shiny and grow inside a green, spiky, white-lined husk.

Trees that look similar to horse chestnut

Horse chestnuts

Sweet chestnuts

Sweet chestnut are small and pointier than horse chestnuts and the spikes on their husks are longer, thinner and more flexible.

Horse chestnut tree uses

Medicinal – Horse chestnut was traditionally used as an ant-inflammatory and venous tonic.
Bushcraft – The seeds or conkers of horse chestnut can be used to make a soap
Wildlife – Horse chestnut flowers are a valuable tree for moths, butterflies and bees.