⑧Wingnut and Horse Chestnut Groves

Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata)

On the damp ground by the streams and on the shady slopes where snow is slow to melt, groves of Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinata) and Japanese wingnut (Pterocarya rhoifolia) have sprung up.

The bark of the Japanese horse chestnut is brown and readily sheds in round flakes, while the bark of the Japanese wingnut is gray and scored with vertical fissures.

The Japanese horse chestnut is a close relative of the European horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), which famously lines the avenues of Paris.

Its flowers yield a fine honey, and its chestnut-like seeds are relished by squirrels and mice, though they are too bitter for humans to eat.

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