Aesculus hippocastanum

The European horse chestnut or horse-chestnut is thought to have originated around Greece and Albania, but now is common in many temperate areas of the world. It is only distantly related to the chestnut (Castanea) genus.

• Leaves are opposite, palmately compound with 5–7 leaflets, single or double-toothed. Each leaflet is 13–30 cm long, the whole leaf up to 60 cm across, with a long petiole; the terminal leaflet is often the longest.
• Leaf scars are crescent-shaped, with 7 vascular bundle scars in a half-circle.
• Terminal buds are large and sticky, 2–3 cm long; lateral bus are much smaller.
• Flowers are showy and white upright cluster with a small red spot.
• Fruit is a green, spiky capsule containing one nut-like seed called a conker or horse chestnut, 2–4 cm in diameter, being glossy brown with a whitish pale spot on the bottom. The seeds are slightly poisonous and may cause sickness in some animals when eaten.