Horse chestnut  (Aesculus hippocastanum)

Learn about the scientific name of this species and how it fits into the tree of life at Nature Navigator.

Range

Horse chestnuts are a native of Greece and the Balkans, but have been introduced to many temperate countries around the world. In the UK, it occurs virtually everywhere except the Scottish Grampian regions and the extreme northwest mainland and islands.

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Habitat

As an introduced species, horse chestnut can be found in parks, large gardens and estates, but it also occurs in the wild as a naturalised tree on various habitat types, ranging from damp fens and woods to upland road verges.

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