Horse Chestnut

Family

Sapindaceae

 

Distribution and habitat

Native to Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Balkans, up to 1200 meters altitude.

 

Description

It can reach a height of about 30 meters and is characterized by a dense, rounded crown. The leaves are deciduous, palmate-compound and turn yellow in autumn. The flowers are white and arranged in panicles, followed by round, spiny fruits containing seeds similar to chestnuts.

 

Uses and cultivation

Widely cultivated as an ornamental plant due to its undemanding climate and soil requirements, in recent years it has been subject to multiple adversities that often cause defoliation and stress.

 

Curiosity

Widely used in the past to create street tree plantings, its use is now discouraged as it has little resistance to air pollution, is often subject to attacks by recently introduced fungi and parasites, and especially due to the danger of spiny fruits in their sudden fall.