A large deciduous tree grows to 36 m tall, with a domed crown of stout branches, on old trees the outer branches often pendulous with curled-up tips. The leaves are opposite and palmately compound, with 5-7 leaflets; each leaflet is 10-25 cm long, making the whole leaf up to 50 cm across, with a 20 cm petiole. The flowers are white with a small red spot; they are produced in spring in erect panicles 10-20 cm tall with about 20-50 flowers on each panicle. Usually only 1-5 fruit develop on each panicle; the fruit is a green, softly spiky capsule containing one (rarely two or three) nut-like seeds called horse chestnuts and also known as conkers. Each conker is 2-4 cm diameter, glossy nut-brown with a whitish scar at the base.

Alterative, analgesic, haemostatic and vulnerary (plant); anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, febrifuge, narcotic, tonic and vasoconstrictive (bark); decongestant, expectorant and tonic (seeds)

Aesculus hippocastanum
Plants for a Future
Australian Naturopathic Network

Acetic acid (seed); adenine, adenosine, astragalin, choline, isoquercitrin, rutin, tannin (flower); allantoin, citric acid, epicatechin, escin, esculetin, esculin, faraxetin, fraxin, quercetin, quercitrin, scopoletin, scopolin (bark); myricetin (plant)

Reduces fluid retention by increasing the permeability of the capillaries and allowing the re-absorption of excess fluid back into the circulatory system, for the treatment of a wide range of venous diseases, including hardening of the arteries, varicose veins, phlebitis, leg ulcers, haemorrhoids and frostbite (plant); in the treatment of malaria and dysentery, externally in the treatment of lupus and skin ulcers (tea from bark); fevers and whooping cough (leaves); in the treatment of rheumatism, neuralgia and haemorrhoids (seeds)

Because of the irritant effect of the saponins, horse chestnut should not be applied to broken or ulcerated skin.