Pink flowered horse chestnut

Discussion in 'Trees' started by Scrungee, May 13, 2011.

  1. Scrungee

    Scrungee Well known for it

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    There's a couple of these in my village, but although there's immature 'conkers' on them at the moment, I've never seen them develop into mature conkers (although it's been a funny year and I've just seen a walnut tree that hasn't fruited in 20 - 30 years at least with small fruits on). The leaves seem to have more pointy ends than the local (white flowered) horse chestnut trees.

    [​IMG]
     
  2. theruralgardener

    theruralgardener Gardener

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    You're right Scrungee, the pink flowered Horse Chestnut is a hybrid and doesn't produce big conkers.
     
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    • Scrungee

      Scrungee Well known for it

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      'Big conkers', they are so small I've never even noticed conkers of any size whatsoever on them.

      What's it been hybridized with?
       
    • Aesculus

      Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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    • Lad

      Lad Gardener

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      Did u know when Hoss chestnut flowers are pollinated they go white, Bees dont see white only pink so they pollinate the pink flowers thus making sure the whole tree is pollinated,
       
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      • Aesculus

        Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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        I never knew that:love30: I've always loved them for as long as I can remember, my aunt in kent has a Red Horse Chestnut next to her house and it looks amazing:sunny:
         
      • Marley Farley

        Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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        Hi Scrungee,
        The red Horse Chestnut Aesculus x carnea the leaves are lightly glossy, but very crumpled. Usually 5 leaflets but there can be 6 or 7 & they can be jaggedly toothed/serrated & slightly more pointed. The whole tree is smaller than the white flowered one, as they usually don't go over 20m.. The flower spike is 12-20cm tall with the indivicual flowers much smaller, but they do bear conkers.. We have a red one in our churchyard & we have nice sized conkers from it every year... :D


        White Horse Chestnut is Aesculus hippocastanum is the much bigger tree of the two & usually grows to 30m - 40m.. The leaves are usually a slightly lighter green & much more rounded than the red often not quite so wrinkled either & bigger.. The flower spikes also are much bigger being about 2cm across large spikes up to 30cm long.!!
        Both trees are very susceptible to leaf miner, but it mainly looks dreadful I think rather than being a danger to the trees & that is all I can think of about them both.. :WINK1:
         
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        • Aesculus

          Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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          Oh I forgot to mention that some of the Red Horse-Chestnut cultivars don't produce seed, I think Aesculus x carnea 'plantierensis' is among one of these although the flowers are far from the red of of say 'Briotti'
           
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          • pete

            pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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            All I can think to add is the seed case has virtually no spikes unlike our common one, and I've read its a hybrid that can be grown from seed, although it may well produce a variation in colour, but at least pink, if not a good red.
             
          • Marley Farley

            Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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            So do you think ours is a briotti then Aesculus as the flowers are quite dark & the chestnuts are not a bad size..??
            [​IMG]


            [​IMG]
             
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            • Aesculus

              Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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              If I was to be honest I don't feel I have enough knowledge to say one way or the other unfortunately :o

              But I'm sure I don't need to tell you that the tree in your picture is a stunning specimen:dbgrtmb: it must be absolute wonder at it's peak:sunny:
               
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              • Marley Farley

                Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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              • pete

                pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                I got a bit carried away this morning, thought I'd take a few pics of Aesculus in the local park.


                I think this is the bog standard Hippocastanum

                [​IMG]

                I think this could be "carnea", a large tree
                [​IMG]

                Might be "briottii", smaller rounded tree,
                [​IMG]

                [​IMG]

                I liked this one, but have no idea of a name,
                [​IMG]

                [​IMG]

                I think this is A. indica,
                [​IMG]

                And the disease that seems to be killing all the young trees.
                [​IMG]
                 
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                • Marley Farley

                  Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

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                  :thumbsup: Those are beauties Pete it must be a super park to walk around with trees like that in it.. So many different kinds too I think you must have had/have some good tree people at your council then.. :D
                   
                • Aesculus

                  Aesculus Bureaucrat 34 (Admin)

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