Horse Chestnut
Aesculus hippocastanum
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Genus:
- Aesculus
- Species:
- Aesculus hippocastanum
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- More than 40 ft
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Bloom Months:
- mar, apr, may
- Bloom Colors:
- pink, white, yellow
Native Range
United States: Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Canada: British Columbia, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec
Host Plant for Caterpillars
American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Chain-lined geometer moth (Cingilia catenaria), Confused Morrisonia (Morrisonia confusa), elm spanworm moth (Ennomos subsignaria), Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Frosted Dagger Moth (Acronicta hastulifera), fruit-tree leafroller (Archips argyrospila), hibiscus Quaker (Orthosia hibisci), Horned Spanworm (Nematocampa resistaria), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Isa textula, Limbata angle moth (Nematocampa limbata), maple twig borer (Proteoteras aesculana), Olethreutes cespitana, Stigmella apicialbella, White-marked Tussock Moth (Orgyia leucostigma), witch hazel dagger moth (Acronicta hamamelis)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus bimaculatus (Bombus bimaculatus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), Bombus perplexus (Bombus perplexus), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Brown-belted bumble bee (Bombus griseocollis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Hunt's bumble bee (Bombus huntii), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-form bumble bee (Bombus bifarius), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow bumble bee (Bombus fervidus), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii), Yellow-faced bumble bee (Bombus vosnesenskii)
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers deep, fertile soils in its native range