Aesculus hippocastanum

COMMON NAME: Common Horse-Chestnut, European Horse-Chestnut

FAMILY: Horse-Chestnut Family; Hippocastanaceae

GROWTH HABIT: May grow to be a large tree (50 - 75 ' tall). Crown tall and rounded.

FOLIAGE: Opposite, deciduous, large, palmately compound, with 5-7 stalkless leaflets. Each leaflet 3 - 10 in. long, very narrow at base, widening toward the apex, and ending in an abrupt point. Since leaflets smallest, middle ones, largest. Margin irregularly tooth. Petiole up to 10 in. long.

BUDS: Winter buds conspicuous; large (3/5 - 1 1/5 in.), sticky, mahogany-colored. Terminal bud very distinct.

BARK: Often breaks into irregular scales that peel away slightly from trunk.

FLOWERS: In early May, in large, showy upright clusters. Overall color of cluster white, but individual blossoms are often tinged with red and yellow.

FRUIT: A dark brown, sharply and heavily spined capsule, splitting open to release one or two shiny, dark reddish-brown seeds. Each seed with whitish or pinking circle, approximately 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 in. long. Poisonous.

NATIVE HABITAT: Greece, Albania (Balkan Peninsula)