Melinda Myers

Red Horsechestnut

Botanical Name

Aesculus x carnea

Min Zone

5

Max Zone

8

Height

30 to 40 feet

Width

30 to 40 feet

Flowers

Panicle, 6 to 10 inches, pink to red

Fruit

Glossy brown nuts in prickly capsules

Fall Color

Brown

Light

Full sun

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• More tolerant of dry soils than horsechestnut, but still grows best in moist soil
• Taproot makes transplanting difficult and recovery from tranplanting slow
• Large spiny fruits can be messy

Problems

Sunscald on trunk; leaf, twig and fruit litter

Varieties

• Briotti - 25 to 35 feet tall and wide, birght rose red flowers with yellow throats
• Fort McNair - 30 feet tall and wide, pink flowers with yellow throats