Horse Chestnut.

[roundwood123]

I was wondering does anyone know where Horse Chestnuts originate, are they a European species or North American, and do the Red and White flowered species originate from the same continent.
Hope this makes sense. Steve.

[Beekeeper]

I am probably wrong but i rather think this is one of our native trees, wheras the sweet chestnut is spanish in origin.

BK

[The Woodman]

There are about twenty five species of Horse-Chestnuts growing in North America, south eastern Europe and eastern Asia as far as India according to Miles Hadfield.

A native of the Balkans acording to Paul Sterry and Albania and northern Greece according to Allen Coombes.

The Americans call their H-C's "Buckeyes".

The Red H-C is a hybrid between cultivated Aesculus hippocastanum and the Red Buckeye A. pavia of the southern U.S.

The Red H-C was first described by the French botanist Loiseleur in 1818 from a plant received by him from Germany and then shortly after the species was planted in England.

The Sweet Buckeye can be in some southern parks and its flowers are yellow and the conker cases are spineless.

[Hobjob]

Came to France from Istanbul in the 1600s.

Called "horse" chestnut as it used to be fed to horses.

[nakedgardener]

We're getting confused here!

The normal, white flowered, Horse Chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum) is a native of a small area of Northern Greece and Albania, It's been in Britain since 1616.

Thee are two red flowered Horse chesnuts conmmonly seen in Britain, The Indian Horse Chestnut (Aesculus indica)from the Himalaya.. introduced in 1851 and the Red Horse Chestnut ( Aesculus x carnea) a hybrid red buckeye x Horse chesnut from 1818.

Clear as mud?

Edit.. Oh and the Sweet Chestnut , Castanea sativa.. is a completely seperate family, And comes from Southern Europe, Turkey and North Africa

[roundwood123]

Thanks for the info. Steve

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by nakedgardener

Edit.. Oh and the Sweet Chestnut , Castanea sativa.. is a completely seperate family, And comes from Southern Europe, Turkey and North Africa

and that was introduced by the Romans.

Cheers,

Adam

[tcvarlh]

Wiki has some info that makes interesting reading and also dispels some fallacies Aesculus hippocastanum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse-chestnut_(tree)
h