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Aesculus x carnea - Hayne.

Common Name Red Horse Chestnut, Ruby Red Horsechestnut
Family Hippocastanaceae
USDA hardiness 5-7
Known Hazards The seed is rich in saponins[169]. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].
Habitats Not known in the wild.
Range A cultivated hybrid of garden origin, A. hippocastanum x A. pavia.
Edibility Rating    (2 of 5)
Other Uses    (3 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (1 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Aesculus x carnea Red Horse Chestnut, Ruby Red Horsechestnut


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jnn
Aesculus x carnea Red Horse Chestnut, Ruby Red Horsechestnut
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Jnn

 

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Summary

Bloom Color: Pink, Red. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Pyramidal, Rounded.


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of lolypop
Aesculus x carnea is a deciduous Tree growing to 25 m (82ft 0in) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen in September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Habitats

Woodland Garden Canopy;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed
Edible Uses:

We have no details for this species, but the following notes almost certainly apply to it. Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The seed is quite large, about 20mm in diameter, and is also easily harvested. Unfortunately, it is rich in saponins and these toxins need to be removed before the seed can be eaten. See also the notes above on toxicity. The following notes apply to A. californica, but are probably also relevant here:- The seed needs to be leached of toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the Indians would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 - 5 days[213]. Most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out by this treatment[K].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Bach

The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Excessive fear' and 'Anxiety for others'[209].

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

Soap

Saponins in the seed are a soap substitute[169]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[K].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Pest tolerant, Pollard, Specimen, Street tree. Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[1, 11]. The dormant tree tolerates temperatures down to at least -15°c[200], though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. It prefers a continental climate, growing best in eastern and south-eastern England[200]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[11, 200]. Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[11]. Abnormal cell development in this species may result in eruptions on trunks over 30cm in diameter - these ultimately decay[200]. Although a hybrid species, it breeds true from seed due to a doubling of the chromosomes[11, 17]. Special Features:Attractive foliage, Not North American native, Blooms are very showy.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

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Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees, and Woodland Gardening. Our new book to be released soon is Edible Shrubs.

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Propagation

Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[11, 80]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[130]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[80, 113]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[130]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer. This species is a garden hybrid though it breeds relatively true from seed[200].

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Plant Search

Search over 900 plants ideal for food forests and permaculture gardens. Filter to search native plants to your area. The plants selected are the plants in our book 'Plants For Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens, as well as plants chosen for our forthcoming related books for Tropical/Hot Wet Climates and Mediterranean/Hot Dry Climates. Native Plant Search

Found In

Countries where the plant has been found are listed here if the information is available

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Aesculus californicaCalifornian Buckeye, California HorsechestnutTree12.0 6-10 MLMHNDM312
Aesculus chinensisChinese Horse ChestnutTree25.0 5-9 SLMHSNM313
Aesculus flavaSweet Buckeye, Yellow buckeyeTree20.0 4-8 MLMHSNM403
Aesculus glabraOhio Buckeye, Fetid BuckeyeTree20.0 4-7 MLMHSNM213
Aesculus hippocastanumHorse Chestnut, European Horsechestnut, Common HorsechestnutTree30.0 4-7 FLMHSNDM343
Aesculus indicaIndian Horse ChestnutTree30.0 6-9  LMHSNM313
Aesculus parvifloraBottlebrush buckeyeShrub4.0 4-9 SLMHFSNM213
Aesculus paviaRed BuckeyeShrub5.0 5-9 FLMHFSNM213
Aesculus sppHorse chestnutTree30.0 4-9 FLMHSNDM444
Aesculus turbinataJapanese Horse ChestnutTree20.0 5-7 MLMHSNM203

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

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Expert comment

Author

Hayne.

Botanical References

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Links / References

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Readers comment

Jonathan Justice   Wed Mar 22 2006

Seed set on these trees is pretty uncommon. Mine bloom freely and have yet to set any nuts at all. The Briotii cultivar works so hard at blooming that growth will be very slow unless additional nutrients are provided. The leaves do last better than the leaves of A. hippocastrum.

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Subject : Aesculus x carnea  
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