Chestnut Tree
Courtesy of Coillte Teoranta
Chestnut Tree
Courtesy of Coillte Teoranta
Courtesy of Coillte Teoranta
Chestnut Tree
Courtesy of Coillte Teoranta
Cnó Capaill
Latin name: Aesculus hippocastanum
There are lots of horse chestnut trees in Ireland, but they are not actually a native tree. They are native to Asia and Greece.
Do you know why they are called horse chestnuts?
Some people say it’s because the trees have the strength of a horse!
The long, tappering leaves of the Horse Chestnut
The long, tappering leaves of the Horse Chestnut
The long, tappering leaves of the Horse Chestnut
The leaves of the horse chestnut look like long, green fingers that spread out from the central stem.
White, pink or yellow flowers appear in May, but it’s not until the autumn that we start to see the chestnuts falling from the trees.
The fruit of the horse chestnut are these shiny brown chestnuts that are commonly known as ‘conkers’. They grow inside a thick, fleshy casing that has sharp little spikes on the outside to protect it.
The green, spiky shell is protecting the conker
The green, spiky shell is protecting the conker
The green, spiky shell is protecting the conker
In the autumn, lots of these chestnuts can be found scattered on the ground all around the great horse chestnut trees, and you will often see children playing the game ‘conkers’.
Do you ever played this game? If you do, be careful not to hurt your knuckles!
