Complimentary 
NEW SERIES VOL. V NO. 6 
ARNOLD ARBORETUM 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
BULLETIN 
OF 
POPULAR INFORMATION 
JAMAICA PLAIN. MASS. MAY 29, 1919 
Horsediestnuts and Buckeyes. Horsechestnut as generally applied 
is the name of the Old World species of Aesculus, and Buckeye is 
commonly used for the American species of this genus. The Old World 
species which are found in southeastern Europe, on the Himalayas, in 
central and northern China and in Japan have white flowers often 
marked or tinged with yellow, but the flowers of the American species 
are yellow, red, scarlet, red and yellow, and white. The European 
species, however, are best distinguished from those of the New World 
by the resinous exudations which thickly cover their winter buds and 
are not found on those of the American species with the exception of 
the one which grows in California {A. californica). The original 
Horsechestnut, Aesculus Hippocastanum, long cultivated in western 
Europe but only in recent years known to be a native of the mountains 
of Greece, is the handsomest of the whole genus and one of the most 
splendid trees in the world. It was brought to America at least one 
hundred and fifty years ago, and there are noble specimens in many of 
the seaboard cities and towns of the eastern states. The Himalayan 
Horsechestnut and the species of central China are not hardy here; it 
has not yet been possible to establish the north China Horsechestnut 
in the Arboretum, but the Japanese species {A. turbinata) is hardy and 
grows fairly well here, although it is less satisfactory in cultivation 
and a less beautiful tree than the Grecian Horsechestnut. The earliest 
of these trees to flower here are the Ohio Buckeye and its varieties. 
They are small trees with small yellow or yellow-green flowers, and 
fruit covered like that of the Old World Horsechestnuts with prickles. 
These trees have no great value as ornamental trees, but are inter- 
21 
