The horsechestnut is native to Europe and the Balkans and not really a chestnut. It is a relative of the North American buckeyes. The shiny, polished nuts they produce look edible but are actually very bitter and poisonous. Horsechestnut's blossom has been described as a "candlelabra of the gods" because of its lush flower panicle. The tree grows to 75 feet and can be 70 feet wide.
Aesculus hippocastanum is actually very seldom planted in the United States anymore. It is afflicted with a "blotch" that causes unsightly browning of leaves by summer. The tree grows in an upright-oval shape. The leaves are palmate and composed of 7 leaflets that turn a respectable yellow in the fall.
