Indian Horse Chestnut

The Indian Horse Chestnut Aesculus indica is native to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal where it grows at an elevation of 900m to 3600m. It was introduced to Britain in 1851. It is not common but has been planted in some gardens. It has leaves and flowers that are similar to the Horse Chestnut but its fruit has a smooth, spineless husk. is native to Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal where it grows at an elevation of 900m to 3600m. It was introduced to Britain in 1851. It is not common but has been planted in some gardens. It has leaves and flowers that are similar to the Horse Chestnut but its fruit has a smooth, spineless husk.

Indian Horse Chestnut Identification – Palmate leaves with 5 to 9 leaflets. Flowers in candles in June, smooth fruit husks, sticky buds

Tree in May, when the leaves open orange or red.

The palmate leaf has from 5 to 9 stalked, slender leaflets.

Each leaflet has a 1cm stalk and the stalk leaf and leaflet stalks may be pink. Photo taken in May.

The bark is smooth.

The flowers are clustered in the form of a ‘panicle’ which looks similar to the Horse Chestnut. Flowering is later than the Horse Chestnut. This photo was taken in mid-June.

The fruit is a capsule like the Horse Chestnut but the husk has no spines. The nut inside the husk is like a ‘conker’ but smaller. The fruit is similar to that of the Yellow Buckeye.

Fruit at the end of October.

Buds are red-brown, pointed and sticky. Below each bud there is a horseshoe-shaped leaf scar.