Practical
Plants

Aesculus indica

Indian Horse Chestnut

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Aesculus genus in the family Hippocastanaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
30 m
Spread
12 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Toxicity

Toxicity warning. The historical record reports a hazard for this plant. Do not use it to decide which parts are safe to eat or use medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed is rich in saponins[13][20]. 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[K].

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a powder and used as a gruel[12][19][6][7][8]. The seed is roasted then eaten in Nepal[17]. It is also dried then ground into a flour and used with wheat flour to develop the flavour when making bread[17]. The seed is quite large, about 35mm in diameter[11], and is easily harvested. Unfortunately it also contains toxic saponins and these need to be removed before it can be eaten. The seed is used as an emergency food in times of famine when all else fails[10]. It is dried and ground into a powder, this is then soaked in water for about 12 hours before use in order to remove the bitter saponins and can be used to make a 'halva'[11]. It is estimated that mature trees yield about 60kg of seeds per annum in the wild[11]. See also the notes above on toxicity.

Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The seed is astringent, acrid and narcotic[17]. An oil from the seed is applied externally in the treatment of skin disease and rheumatism[15][16][17]. The juice of the bark is also used to treat rheumatism[17]. A paste made from the oil cake is applied to the forehead to relieve headaches[17]. The seed is given to horses suffering from colic[15][16]. It is also used as an anthelmintic on horses to rid them of intestinal parasites[17].

Product or use
Antirheumatic
Product or use
Stomachic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Acrid
Product or use
Narcotic
Product or use
Anthelmintic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Saponins in the seed are used as a soap substitute[9]. The saponins can be easily obtained by chopping the seed into small pieces and infusing them in hot water. This water can then be used for washing the body, clothes etc. Its main drawback is a lingering odour of horse chestnuts[K]. Wood - soft, close grained. Used for construction, cases, spoons, cups etc[6][7][8].

Product or use
Soap
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - North-western Himalayas.
Habitat
Wet temperate forests and shady ravines to 3,000 metres[18][16].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown outdoors or in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe[2][21]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[5]. The seed has a very limited viability and must not be allowed to dry out. Stored seed should be soaked for 24 hours prior to sowing and even after this may still not be viable[21][3]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[5]. If sowing the seed in a cold frame, pot up the seedlings in early spring and plant them out into their permanent positions in the summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a deep loamy well-drained soil but is not too fussy[1][2][14]. Succeeds on chalk[2]. Dislikes dry soils[2]. This species does very well in south-west England, growing best in areas where the minimum temperatures do not fall below about -5°c[14]. Young shoots in the spring can be cut back by late frosts in low-lying districts[2][4]. Trees cast quite a dense shade[11]. Most members of this genus transplant easily, even when fairly large[2].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  3. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

    ↩

  4. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 6. 1984 - 1985. Royal Horticultural Society 1984-00-00

    ↩

  5. ? The Plantsman. Vol. 4. 1982 - 1983. Royal Horticultural Society 1982-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  6. Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Gamble. J. S. A Manual of Indian Timbers. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1972-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Gupta. B. L. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press 1945-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  9. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩

  10. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩

  11. Parmar. C. and Kaushal. M.K. Wild Fruits of the Sub-Himalayan Region. Kalyani Publishers. New Delhi. 1982-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  12. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  13. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

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  14. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  15. Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  16. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Dept. of Medicinal Plants. Nepal. 1993-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  17. Manandhar. N. P. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon. 2002-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-527-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  18. Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984-00-00

    ↩

  19. Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948-00-00

    ↩

  20. Frohne. D. and Pf�nder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Wolfe 1984-00-00 ISBN 0723408394

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  21. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

    ↩1↩2

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