Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
red horse chestnut
References
Britannica AI Icon

red horse chestnut

plant
Also known as: Aesculus carnea
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

The red horse chestnut (Aesculus × carnea) is a hybrid ornamental tree, a cross between the common horse chestnut (A. hippocastanum) and A. pavia. It is known for its striking flower spikes, which range in color from flesh-colored to scarlet. This tree typically grows to a height of about 20 meters (65 feet). The horse chestnut genus (Aesculus) is characterized by palmately compound leaves and upright flower clusters. Its nuts are enclosed in prickly husks and are mahogany-brown when ripe. The common name "horse chestnut" is thought to originate from the practice of feeding the nuts to horses to treat ailments like broken wind.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. horse chestnut
  2. red horse chestnut

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.