Aesculus hippocastaneum - Horse Chestnut

These splendid trees, native to northern Greece, were introduced into Britain from Turkey in the 17th century. Its soft timber is not much used, but the fruits of the horse chestnut are prized by children and used for playing 'conkers'. Horse chestnut trees are less plentiful in Wales than they are in England. While the quantity is not great, Wales has some very fine specimens indeed.

One place where you can see a lot of conker trees is in the upper Severn Valley; many are conveniently close to towns and villages.

In winter and early spring the buds develop. They are very sticky - a feature that prevents small insects damaging them.

There are several cultivated variants of this tree, including Aesculus x carnea, a fertile hybrid that does not grow as tall as the white-blossomed variety; it has red blossom. The white variety is most common in Wales.

The distinctive palmate leaves usually have five or seven leaflets, and the fruits, which develop in prickly cases, are ripe in September and October - the 'conker' season.

Top of page...