Aesculus x carnea Plantierensis - Red Horse Chestnut

Aesculus x carnea Plantierensis is a large hybrid chestnut tree, a majestic tree that can easily replace the common chestnut tree in parks and large gardens. This hybrid offers a decorative spring flowering, but it does not produce fruits. The tree requires fertile, moist, preferably slightly acidic to neutral soil. It is sensitive to drought: in drought, its leaves dry up and fall.

Aesculus x carnea Plantierensis is a horticultural hybrid obtained in the mid-19th century in the famous French nurseries "Simon-Louis Frères" in Plantières near Metz, from a seedling of red chestnut tree (Aesculus x carnea). It is a retrograde hybrid with one of its parents, namely the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastaneum). The characteristics of this parent predominate on the tree. 'Plantiriensis' forms a straight trunk tree 12 to 15 m tall and 8 to 10 m wide, perfectly hardy. It has a wide, slightly flared crown which effectively filters the light. Its deciduous, dark green, 15 cm wide leaves, are divided into 7 elliptical and wavy leaflets, with some large teeth. Their undersides are slightly lighter. They turn yellow to bronze in autumn before falling. The inflorescences, in the form of large upright conical panicles, reaching 30 cm long, bloom in May-June. The small, abundant flowers, are whitish to pale yellow, tinged with flesh pink. The flowers are nectar-rich but sterile, which prevents the formation of fruits that are often considered a nuisance. The trunk of this chestnut tree is covered with smooth, dark gray bark.

Aesculus x carnea 'Plantierensis', formerly planted along avenues, has fallen out of favour. It is mainly used as a solitary specimen in a large garden, but also in alignment to border the paths of a park. It can accompany the flowering of the cream-white flowered horse chestnut tree, but also those of a large-leaved lime tree and the bee tree. At its feet you can plant a carpet of fragrant violets that you will enjoy from the beginning of spring.