Aesculus x neglecta Erythroblastos - Carolina horse chestnut

The Aesculus x neglecta 'Erythroblastos' is a remarkably colourful variety of horse chestnut tree. It is a small tree with slow growth, whose foliage changes colour, with young shoots of an incredible pink in spring. It takes on its autumn colour, a bright golden yellow, in October. Beautiful, but not abundant, its spring flowering in small pale yellow candles infused with pink blooms on a very beautiful light green and shiny foliage. Its moderate development is suitable for many gardens.

The Aesculus (x) neglecta 'Erythroblastos' is an American horticultural selection from the Brotzman nursery in Madison, Ohio. This hybrid has been awarded in England for its ornamental qualities and performance in the garden. It carries the genes of the Aesculus sylvatica, a very compact variety native to the Appalachian forests of the USA, and those of the Aesculus flava, a large tree native to the eastern United States. This horse chestnut tree shows very slow growth at first, until it is well established. It then becomes slow to moderate. With a fine and delicate appearance, this tree forms a trunk topped with a rounded crown. At the age of 15, it will measure about 5 m in height and 3 m in width. Eventually, its dimensions will rarely exceed 6 m in height and 4 m in width. Its large branches produce smooth, slightly sticky buds.

The young shoots of the 'Erythroblastos' horse chestnut tree, remarkably coloured in fluorescent pink, unfold into large palmate leaves, 15 cm wide, divided into 5 elliptical and oblong leaflets. Their colour quickly turns to light green. They turn golden yellow in October before falling. The inflorescences, in the form of small upright panicles, arrive depending on the climate in the month of May or early June. The small tubular flowers open in pale yellow, then darken to salmon pink. The flowering is followed by the formation of oval fruits, 5-7 cm long. The trunk of this small tree is covered with smooth, grey bark.

The Aesculus neglecta 'Erythroblastos' prefers a sunny, non-burning, or semi-shaded location. It is used as a standalone tree in a moderately sized garden. If space allows, it can also be used in a mass planting of large shrubs or small flowering or autumn foliage trees. It forms a beautiful combination with a blue-flowered Hydrangea such as the Hydrangea serrata Blue Bird, a large rhododendron, the Parrotia persica 'Vanessa', the Hydrangea quercifolia, the Neillia affinis, and the Canadian serviceberry 'Forest Pansy', for example.