Horse-chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum

Between the sugar maple and the edge of the ridge is a small tree with leaves arranged in a whorl of seven. If you are here in May or June, you may see the large white flowers in bloom. The horse-chestnut was introduced to North America many years ago from Greece and Albania. In Autumn the ground beneath is covered with nuts from this tree. The husks are green with many spines, but the nut itself is a shiny brown. The horse-chestnut is not a true chestnut and the nuts are inedible.