Aesculus hippocastanum - Horse chestnut

Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree grown for shade and its glossy brown seeds (conkers). The roasted, leached seed has been used as a Coffee substitute, and bark and seed extracts are used medicinally to support vein health.

Inputs

• Hardiness zone 4¹
• Hardiness zone 5¹
• Hardiness zone 6¹
• Hardiness zone 7¹
• Full sun¹
• Semi-shade¹
• Well drained soil¹
• Moist soil¹

Outputs

• Human food¹
• Coffee substitute¹
• Medicinal use¹
• Dye¹
• Wood¹

Type

• Tree
• Deciduous

Functions

• Fire resistance²³

Footnotes

1. Aesculus hippocastanum | Plants for a Future ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

2. Fire Retardant Flora, Glen Forrest Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade, adapted from “Trees and Plants for Bush Fire Prone Areas,” Fire and Emergency Services Authority (Western Australia), 2002, listed as Horse Chestnut ↩

3. Fire Resistance of Plants Master Database, Bureau of Land Management / College of Western Idaho Horticulture / Idaho Botanical Garden, listed as Aesculus hippocastanum — Horsechestnut, Fire Resistance Score 6/10 ↩