Horsechestnut | Arboretum | SIU

This tree is one of the 150 trees initially included in the arboretum to coincide with the campus's 150th anniversary celebration.

Scientific Name:
Aesulus hippocastanum

Cultivar:

Native to:
Greece and Albania

Mature Height and Width:
50-75 feet by 40-70 feet

Additional Notes:
Horsechestnut is native to only a tiny portion of southeastern Europe, but has been widely planted in parks throughout Europe for centuries.  The seeds are inedible but served as a mediocre raw material for acetone during the World Wars I and II.  On a happier note, in Bavaria, the spreading dome-shaped crowns and shallow root systems historically made horsechestnut the best species for shading lagering caves, and conveniently, the beer gardens that soon followed.

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