Red Horse chestnut, Pink Horse Chestnut
Aesculus x carnea

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A deciduous tree. It grows 20 m tall. The bark is reddish-brown. The leaves are divided like fingers on a hand into 5-7 lobes. These are long but fattened and have sharp teeth. The leaflets can be twisted. The leaves are 25 cm long. The flowers are creamy white with red blotches. They are in a spreading panicle. This can be 20 cm long. The fruit are fairly smooth and 4 cm across. The fruit contain up to 3 seeds.

There are 15 Aesculus species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. Dormant trees tolerate temperatures down to -15°C. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, Canada, China, Europe, Germany, North America, Tasmania

How it is used for food

The seed can be eaten after slow roasting and preferably extended washing to remove saponins.

Edible parts

Seeds

How it is grown

Plants breed true from seed. It can be grown from seed and breeds true from seed. (Due to a doubling of the chromosomes.)

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A cross between Aesculus hippocastanum & A. pavia; Aesculus rubicunda;