Common Varieties of Horse Chestnut and an Introduction to Their Main Values
Horse chestnut, together with ginkgo, linden, plane tree and tulip tree, is known as one of the "five great street trees of the world." As an ornamental tree often used in landscaping, the horse chestnut has a very graceful tree form and a very rich range of varieties. At present, horse chestnut mainly grows in areas such as northern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu, and is also planted in the Yellow River basin. So what common varieties of horse chestnut are there? And what are its main values? Let's find out together.
Main values of horse chestnut
1. Landscape: The horse chestnut has a graceful tree form, large and beautiful flowers, and peculiar fruit shape. It is a rare tree species for foliage, flower and fruit viewing, and one of the world's famous ornamental tree species, often used as a street tree and for garden ornament. It can be planted in many places, either as a specimen tree or mixed with other varieties.
2. Economic value: From an economic perspective, horse chestnut can be used as food, medicine, timber and more. Its leaf buds can be used as a tea substitute, its bark and roots can be made into soap, its leaves and flowers can be used as dye, and its seeds can also be used to extract starch, press oil and more, and can also be eaten.
3. Medicinal value: The fruit and seeds of horse chestnut can all be used as medicine, and can treat acute and chronic gastritis, dysentery, premenstrual abdominal pain and more.
Common varieties of horse chestnut
1. Long-stalked horse chestnut
A deciduous tree of the genus Aesculus, often more than 10 m tall. Palmately compound leaves, with 6 to 9 leaflets, oblong-lanceolate. Inflorescence terminal, with the basal small inflorescences bearing 5 to 6 flowers. Flowers polygamous, white with purple-brown blotches. Mainly produced in China, with some distribution also in Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and India.
2. Darimo horse chestnut
A deciduous tree of the genus Aesculus. Leaflets 5, oblong-obovate, leaves dark green, leaf underside tomentose. Inflorescence terminal, flowers white to pale yellow, with chestnut-colored spots. A grafted hybrid.
3. European horse chestnut
A deciduous tree of the genus Aesculus, usually 25 to 30 m tall. Palmately compound leaves opposite, with 5 to 7 leaflets; panicle terminal, flowers relatively large, petals 4 or 5, white, with red markings. Native to Albania and Greece.
4. Large-flowered horse chestnut
A horticultural hybrid, with palmately compound leaves, leaflets 5, long-obovate, green, with serrated margins. Panicle terminal, flowers relatively large, flowers pale red.
5. Proti red horse chestnut
A horticultural variety, obtained by crossing the European horse chestnut with the red buckeye of North America. Often 10 to 15 m tall, with a rounded crown. Palmately compound leaves, leaflets 5 to 7, panicle up to 25 cm long, flowers dark red.
6. Japanese horse chestnut
A deciduous tree, usually up to 30 m tall. Palmately compound leaves opposite, with 5 to 7 leaflets, obovate, oblong-obovate to obovate-elliptic. Panicle terminal, upright, white or pale yellow, turning from yellow to red when in bloom.
In addition to the above varieties, the domestic horse chestnuts currently in wider circulation are the Chinese horse chestnut and the Zhejiang horse chestnut, mainly planted in provinces such as Henan, Jiangsu, Shaanxi and Hebei. Overall, the horse chestnut's "appearance" is quite impressive, with a towering, straight trunk and a broad, dense crown, while its huge white inflorescences resemble a magnificent candelabra, a truly splendid sight, making it an excellent street tree and garden ornamental plant. At the same time, horse chestnut also has a great variety of values and considerable economic benefits, and has therefore been welcomed by many growers.
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