Featured in: Year 1: Plants
Horse Chestnut
Tree
A large tree famous for its 'conkers' and large, hand-shaped leaves.
How to identify:
Look for its large leaves which are made up of 5-7 smaller leaflets arranged like fingers on a hand. In autumn, look for the spiky green cases containing shiny brown conkers.
💡 Fun Facts
- The 'conker' is the seed of the horse chestnut tree.
- In spring, the tree has large, sticky buds that open up to reveal the new leaves and flowers.
- It gets its name from the horseshoe-shaped mark (complete with 'nail' holes) that is left on the twig when a leaf falls off.
📅 Through the Year
- Leaf-out:March to April
- Flowering:May
- Fruiting:September to October
- Leaf fall:October to November