Practical
Plants

Aesculus turbinata

Japanese Horse Chestnut

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

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
20 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[5]. 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.

Young leaves cooked[6]. Some caution is advised on this entry since the leaves are likely to contain toxic saponins (see notes above on toxicity). Seed - cooked. It can be dried, ground into a flour and used as a gruel. The starch is extracted and eaten[6]. The seed is quite large, about 25 - 30mm in diameter, and is easily harvested. Unfortunately it is also rich in saponins and these need to be removed before the seed can be eaten. See also the notes above on toxicity. The following notes apply to A. californica, but are probably also relevant here:- The seed needs to be leached of toxins before it becomes safe to eat - the Indians would do this by slow-roasting the nuts (which would have rendered the saponins harmless) and then cutting them into thin slices, putting them into a cloth bag and rinsing them in a stream for 2 - 5 days[8]. Most of the minerals etc would also have been leached out by this treatment[K].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Seed

Material uses

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

Saponins in the seed are a soap substitute[5]. 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 - weak, nicely grained. Used for house fittings, domestic items etc[2].

Product or use
Soap
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
E. Asia - China, Japan
Habitat
Mountains, especially in ravines, all over Japan[10]. In deciduous forests, especially in moist slopes along streams[9].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
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][11]. The seed germinates almost immediately and must be given protection from severe weather[4]. 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[11][3]. It is best to sow the seed with its 'scar' downwards[4]. 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]. The dormant plant is very cold-hardy, though the young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts. It prefers growing in a continental climate, doing best in eastern and south-eastern England[7]. 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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

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

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  8. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

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  9. Flora of Japan www.foj.info

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  10. Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965-00-00

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

    ↩1↩2

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