Facts About the Horse Chestnut Leaves
The horse chestnut is a tree that was introduced to the United States as a shade and ornamental tree. It is native to southeast portions of Europe and parts of Asia. The horse chestnut has palmately compound leaves that are composed of five green leaflets arranged on a single stem.
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Opposite Leaves
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Like the other members of the buckeye family to which it belongs, the horse chestnut has opposite leaves. There are two leaf stems at each node on a twig, with leaves growing out opposite from one another.
Palmately Compound
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The leaves are palmately compound, which means that five to seven separate leaflets will grow out from a central point on the leaf stem, forming a shape resembling a star.
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Deciduous
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In the fall months, the horse chestnut will shed its leaves and then grow new ones in the warmth of the spring. Trees that shed their leaves every year are called deciduous trees.
Leaflets
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The leaflets of the horse chestnut that radiate from the stem are anywhere from four to 10 inches in length. These leaflets may be three and a half inches wide at their widest point.
Shape
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The leaves have toothed ridges running along their sides. Horse chestnut leaves are shaped almost like a shield, with one end being wider than the other and ending in a point.
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References
- Photo Credit kychestnut.org
