Horse chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum )

Horse Chestnut is not for eating.

Aesculus hippocastanum grows to 36 metres (118 ft) tall, with a domed crown of stout branches; on old trees the outer branches often pendulous with curled-up tips. The leaves are opposite and palmately compound, with 5–7 leaflets; each leaflet is 13–30 cm long, making the whole leaf up to 60 cm across, with a 7–20 cm petiole. The leaf scars left on twigs after the leaves have fallen have a distinctive horseshoe shape, complete with seven "nails". The flowers are usually white with a small red spot; they are produced in spring in erect panicles 10–30 cm tall with about 20–50 flowers on each panicle. Usually only 1–5 fruit develop on each panicle; the shell is a green, spiky capsule containing one (rarely two or three) nut-like seeds called conkers or horse-chestnuts. Each conker is 2–4 cm diameter, glossy nut-brown with a whitish scar at the base.

Traditional/Ethnobotanical uses

Because of their prevalence, chestnuts have been used in traditional medicine and for a variety of other commercial applications for centuries. Extracts of the bark have been used as a yellow dye, and the wood has been used for furniture and packing cases. In the western United States, the crushed unripe seeds of the California buckeye were scattered into streams to stupefy fish, and leaves were steeped as a tea to remedy congestion. The horse chestnut has been used as a traditional remedy for arthritis and rheumatism, as well as for gynecological bleeding and as a tonic. Even though the seeds are toxic, several traditional methods were employed to rid them of their toxicity. Seeds were buried in swampy, cold ground during the winter to free them of toxic, bitter components, then eaten in the spring after boiling. American Indians roasted, peeled, and mashed the poisonous nuts, then leached the meal in lime water for several days, creating a meal used to make bread.

General uses

Oral horse chestnut seed extract is effective in the short-term treatment of mild to moderate long-term blood flow disorder. The major component aescin has been investigated for its role in weight loss, anti-inflammatory effects, and cancer treatment. Aescin gel has been evaluated for use in bruising.


EXTRA SEEDS – 10% + Gift  (SPECIAL! RECEIVE A FREE SURPRISE PACK OF SEEDS WITH EVERY ORDER)

 

All seeds will come in a resealable plastic zip lock bag with planting instructions  

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After payment has been received, the item will be shipped within 3 working days. Usually it takes 1-4 weeks for delivery, depends on the location.