Chinese horse chestnut
Aesculus chinensis
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A tree which grows to 25 m tall. It spreads to 10 m wide. Seeds can be 3 cm across. The flowers are in a cylinder shaped panicle. They are white. These can be 45 cm long. The fruit are oval capsules 3-5 cm across. There are 1 or 2 brown seeds. They are 2-4 cm across.
There are 15 Aesculus species. Also put in the family Hippocastanaceae.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. It occurs naturally in the mountains of Szechuan Province in North China. It prefers a deep loamy well drained soil but will grow on most soils. Trees are very hardy when dormant. They probably do best in a continental climate. This is hot summers and cold dry winters. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. In Sichuan and Yunnan.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, Australia, China, Indochina, Laos, North America, SE Asia, USA, Vietnam
How it is used for food
The seed are eaten after cooking. Most likely they should be roasted, crushed then washed in running water to remove saponins.
It is an appreciated nut.
Edible parts
Seeds
How it is grown
Plants are grown from seed. Seed should be sown when fresh. They germinate almost immediately. Trees can be transplanted easily.
It is slow growing. In China plants flower in April to June and fruit September to October.
Its other names
Local names
Quiyeshu, Seven-leaved tree, T'Ien Shih Li