Description

A large tree that can reach 30 metres in height, with a broad, rounded habit. Deciduous foliage with large palmate leaves, divided into 5 to 7 shiny dark green leaflets. Spectacular flowering in spring, in large upright panicles of numerous white flowers spotted with red or yellow. Fruits: round, spiky capsules containing one or two glossy brown seeds, often called chestnuts (but be careful, they are not edible, unlike real chestnuts). Average growth in its youth, then slows as it ages.

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Origin

Contrary to what its name suggests, the chestnut tree is not native to India, but to South-East Europe. It is now widespread in public parks and along avenues throughout most of Europe and North America. In Europe, the species is considered "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), but this does not apply to individuals planted as ornaments, only to wild populations in the Balkans.