Aesculus hippocastanum

Majestic, 20-25 m tall tree, 12-15 m wide; domed, very shady, dense crown, main branches vertically extended upwards, lower twigs clearly overhanging, reaching far down; medium to strong-growing, 25-50 cm a year.

Large, white panicles, with yellow-red spots, beginning to middle of May; flowering roughly from the 10th year on.

Numerous prickly capsules with brown chestnuts, from September, lasting for a long time.

Palmate; medium-green; strong yellow or brownish yellow in autumn, October.

Shallow and far-reaching, lifting pavements and curbs; sensitive to digging and soil compaction.

Sun, likes warmth, frost hardy, avoids low humidity.

Fresh to moist, slightly acidic to alkaline; deep, somewhat heavy soil; fails on poor sand; avoids dry soil, very sensitive to salt.

The branches are not very elastic when old and may break. Unprofessional cutting leads the cutwood to weather quickly and the stem is hollowed out.

Zone 4