Woodland Trust

Nature's CalendarNature Detectives

Get out into the woods this weekend - see what signs of spring you can spot!

Horse chestnut

 
Horse chestnut budburst                Horse chestnut first leaf

 Large red-brown sticky buds
 
Distinctive leaves, with five or more long leaflets
 

Horse chestnut first flowering                Horse chestnut first ripe fruit

 Clusters of white flowers
(not pink/ red – that’s a different species)
 
Big brown conkers burst from a green spiky fruit
(Smooth cases tend to be the pink/red flowered species)
 

Horse chestnut first autumn tinting                Horse chestnut full autumn tinting

A stout tree up to 30 metres tall
 
Has a huge domed canopy
 

Horse chestnut leaves falling                Horse chestnut bare tree

Leaves turn from orange to scarlet in autumn
 
Grey-brown, fairly flakey bark
 

Where found

  • Common in parks, gardens, streets and village greens.
     
  • It was introduced from Turkey in the late 16th century and widely planted here
     

Scientific name

Aesculus hippocastanum 
 

When to look for Add the dates of when you first record this species

  • Leaves from April
     
  • Flowers in May
     
  • Leaves drop late October
     
  • Falling ripe fruit from September to October