Aesculus x carnea

COMMON NAME: Red Horse-Chestnut

FAMILY: Hippocastanaceae

GROWTH HABIT: May grow to be a large tree (45 - 65 ft.).

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. Crinkly-textured leaflets. Margin irregularly tooth. Petiole up to 10 in. long.

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

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

FLOWERS: In early May, in large, showy, upright clusters. Panicle 6 - 8 in. long and 3 - 4 in. wide. Overall color of cluster red or deep pink.

FRUIT: A dark brown, sharply and heavily spined capsule.

NATURAL HISTORY: Cross between A. pavia (horse-chestnut of Europe) and A. hippocastanum (the red buckeye of the southeastern United States). May have originated in Germany.