Horse Chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
Horse Chestnuts are native to Europe have been brought to the U.S. in recent decades. (The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) made up 25% of the Appalachian forest, but was struck by blight in 1904, depleting the population to a little over 100 trees in this area by 1912.) Horse Chestnuts can grow up to 118 feet tall. The diameter of the trunk will stay fairly consistent from the base to the middle of the tree. The bark is a light brown to grey, with large striations and is often flaky and scaly. Their fruit known as “conkers” have a spiky green shell about 2-4 inches in diameter and contain 1-2 nuts. Conkers have been used as anti-inflammatory since World War I. But use before they are mature can be poisonous.
Leaves:
Leaves are opposite and compound, with 5-7 leaves. Each leaf is about 4-6 inches long. At maturation they are light green and fairly thin.