Habitat

• native to Greece and Albania
• found in mountainous regions
• zone 3
• commonly cultivated throughout temperate zones

Habit and Form

• a large, deciduous flowering tree
• texture is medium to coarse
• commonly 50' to 75' tall, but 100' specimens are possible
• upright-oval to rounded form
• almost all specimens I observed were taller than they were broad
• lower branches hang down with branch tips turning upward

Summer Foliage

• opposite, palmately-compound with 7 leaflets
• each leaflet is 4" to 10" long and obovate with an acuminate tip
• leaves are light green as they unfold and turn dark green at maturity
• veins are impressed in the leaflets making them appear corrugated
• leafs out early

Autumn Foliage

• poor yellow or just brown
• often leaves are so scorched and blotched that good fall color is not possible

Flowers

• very showy, reaching a peak in mid-May
• white with a blotch of yellow and red color at the base
• terminal panicles, 5" to 12" long and 2 to 5" wide

Fruit

• 2" to 2.5" diameter capsules with 1 or 2 seeds
• has a dehiscent, spiny husk, light brown in color
• matures in September and October
• kids love to collect up the seeds and use them as they see fit

Bark

• exfoliates in plates on older branches and the trunk to reveal showy orange bark underneath
• most of the bark is dark gray and brown
• interesting feature

Culture

• full sun is best
• prefers a roomy soil that is moist, but well-drained, but fairly soil adaptable
• transplant B&B or from container
• avoid hot, dry locations to minimize leaf scorch and other problems

Landscape Use

• good in parks, on campuses, in arboreta, large public areas, golf courses, etc.
• needs room to develop growth
• somewhat overused in parts of the eastern United States
• good for shade and also decoration (flowers)

Liabilities

• there is a tendency to overuse this species
• fruits can be messy
• large and cannot be used at small residences
• leaf scorch and blotch can be serious problems and occur to some degree nearly every year
• powdery mildew
• young leaves and fruit are considered poisonous

ID Features

• large, resinous buds, reddish brown
• large, 7-leaflet, palmately-compound leaves
• leaves have impressed veins
• fruits are the most spiny of all Aesculus

Propagation

• by seed
• cultivars are grafted

Cultivars/Varieties

'Baumannii' - Rather impressive form that has double white flowers. The double flowers last longer than single flowers and do not produce fruit. No fruit litter mess and therefore a good improvement over the species.