Horse Chestnut

About Horse Chestnut in Alberta

Horse Chestnut is an introduced ornamental tree in Alberta, planted as a large shade and specimen tree rather than occurring as part of the native flora. It is recognized by its opposite palmately compound leaves, large sticky buds, upright white flower panicles, and prickly capsules containing glossy brown seeds. For Ancient Roots Alberta purposes, its importance lies mainly in mature park, institutional, and designed-landscape specimens that have persisted in prairie conditions.

Identification: Leaves are opposite and palmately compound, with usually 5-7 large leaflets radiating from a single point. The leaflets are broad, coarse, and doubly toothed, giving the tree a bold hand-like leaf pattern that is very easy to recognize in summer.

Alberta range and habitat: No wild Alberta distribution was established in this pass. Horse Chestnut should be treated as absent from Alberta's native wild tree flora.