Aesculus chinensis
Common name: 
Chinese Horsechestnut
Chinese Buckeye
Pronunciation: 
ES-ku-lus chi-NEN-sis
Family: 
Sapindaceae, Hippocastanaceae
Genus: 
Aesculus
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No

  • Broadleaf, deciduous tree, it usually grows to 30-40 ft (9-12 m) high, sometimes to 70 ft (21 m) and has a rounded form.  Compound palmate leave are in an opposite arrangement, a long petiole terminates into 5-7 oblong, green, mostly hairless, leaflets, each 7.5-25 cm long and with finely serrate margins.  Flowers have 4 white petals; some dabbed with yellow or red, and are in showy cylindrical terminal clusters (panicles) to 40 cm long.  The fruit are dehiscent, globose capsules, rough-textured, but spineless, and at maturity open to release 1-2 dark brown seeds, which are poisonous.

  • Sun to partial shade

  • Hardy to USDA Zone 5     Native to northern China

  • Oregon State University: Lewis-Brown Horticulture Farm on Peoria Road, next to the road in the turf research area

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  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • leaves and flower clusters

    leaves and flower clusters

  • leaf

    leaf

  • flower cluster, early summer

    flower cluster, early summer

  • flowers

    flowers

  • young fruit cluster, mid-summer

    young fruit cluster, mid-summer

  • maturing fruit and leaves, early fall

    maturing fruit and leaves, early fall

  • maturing fruit

    maturing fruit

  • seed and husks

    seed and husks

  • plant habit, late fall

    plant habit, late fall

  • leaves, late fall

    leaves, late fall

  • plant habit, winter

    plant habit, winter

  • branches, winter

    branches, winter

  • twig, buds

    twig, buds

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark