Japanese horse chestnut
3
1Will it grow where I live?
Japanese horse chestnut is hardy to zone 6, which covers nearly all of Central Europe and the British Isles; only harsh upland sites (Alps, high ridges) call for winter protection.
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Profile
- Family
- Hippocastanaceae
- Habit
- Tree
- Height
- 20 m
- Spread
- 12 m
- Growth
- medium
- Lifespan
- 200 years
- First yield
- after 12 years
- Hardiness
- zone 6–7
- Shade tolerance
- partial shade
- Soil
- Sand, Silt, Loam
- Soil moisture
- semi-dry – very moist
- pH
- 5.6 – 7.6
- Synonyms
- Ae dissimilis.
Uses
Edible: Young leaves cooked. Caution is advised, as the leaves probably contain toxic saponins (see the toxicity notes above). Seeds cooked. They can be dried, ground into flour and used as porridge. The starch is extracted and eaten. The seeds are quite large, about 25–30 mm in diameter, and easy to harvest. Unfortunately they are also rich in saponins, which must be removed before consumption. See also the toxicity notes above. The following notes refer to A. californica but are probably relevant here as well: The seeds need to be detoxified before they are edible. The indigenous peoples slow-roasted the nuts for this (which neutralised the saponins) and then sliced them thinly. These were placed in a cloth bag and rinsed in a stream for 2–5 days. This treatment also leached out most of the minerals etc.
Other uses: The saponins contained in the seeds serve as a soap substitute. They are easily obtained by cutting the seeds into small pieces and steeping them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. The only drawback is the lingering smell of horse chestnut. Wood – soft, but beautifully grained. Used for furnishings, household goods etc.
Propagation
Samen – am besten direkt im Freien oder im Frühbeet aussäen, sobald sie reif sind. Die Samen keimen fast sofort und müssen vor starkem Wetter geschützt werden. Die Keimfähigkeit ist sehr begrenzt, und die Samen dürfen nicht austrocknen. Gelagerte Samen sollten vor der Aussaat 24 Stunden lang eingeweicht werden; selbst dann sind sie möglicherweise nicht mehr keimfähig. Am besten sät man die Samen mit der Narbe nach unten. Bei der Aussaat im Frühbeet die Sämlinge im zeitigen Frühjahr in Töpfe umpflanzen und im Sommer an ihren endgültigen Standort pflanzen.
Origin & habitat
In the mountains, especially in ravines, throughout Japan. In deciduous woodlands, particularly on moist slopes along streams.
⚠️ Hazards
The seed is rich in saponins. Although poisonous, saponins are poorly absorbed by the human body and so most pass through without harm. Saponins are quite bitter and can be found in many common foods such as some beans. They can be removed by carefully leaching the seed or flour in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of food that contain saponins. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish.
Frequently asked questions
Japanese horse chestnut: how big does it get?
Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata) grows as a Tree and reaches roughly 20 m in height when mature, with a spread of about 12 m. Growth is medium.
Japanese horse chestnut: what site does it need?
Japanese horse chestnut tolerates partial shade. Suitable soils are Sand, Silt, Loam. Soil moisture should be in the range semi-dry – very moist. The pH may lie between 5.6 and 7.6.
Japanese horse chestnut: is it hardy?
Japanese horse chestnut is listed as hardy in zone 6–7 and survives normal winters outdoors there.
Japanese horse chestnut: will it grow in Central Europe?
Japanese horse chestnut is hardy to zone 6, which covers nearly all of Central Europe and the British Isles; only harsh upland sites (Alps, high ridges) call for winter protection.
Japanese horse chestnut: is it poisonous?
Individual parts of Japanese horse chestnut are noted as mildly problematic — the plant does not count as poisonous. With wild plants, never rely on a database alone, only on a confident identification.
Japanese horse chestnut: what is it used for?
Rated on a scale up to 10: Edible 3/10, Other uses 1/10.
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