Holowach Horse Chestnut

About this verified tree

Walter Holowach first fell in love with horse chestnut trees while studying violin in Vienna during the 1920s. There was one outside his window that he thought was beautiful, so when he returned to Edmonton, he brought some chestnuts with him. Someone told him they would never grow in Edmonton’s cold climate, but he planted them anyway. Most did not survive, but one did, and it became known as the mother horse chestnut of northern Alberta. The tree grew in the Holowach yard on Jasper Avenue and became a downtown landmark. By the late 1990s, people admired it every day, including Earl Andrusiak, who worked at the HSBC Bank beside the property. When the Holowach house was sold and later demolished, the tree was nearly lost too. Andrusiak acted quickly after learning it was historically important, and the bank helped raise money to save it. Around 2,000 people showed up to a parking lot barbecue fundraiser, raising $3,500, which HSBC matched. The money helped protect the roots, add a bench and fence, prune the tree, water it deeply, and treat root rot. By then, the tree had become more than just an unusual tree. It was a piece of Edmonton history that people came to see, protect, and collect chestnuts from every fall.

Species

Horse Chestnut

Scientific name

Aesculus hippocastanum

Area

Alberta