Can you name this tree?

Hi David
Surely this is a Horsechestnut tree. I grow them from seedlings I found and have kept them in pots for years, but now they are in the ground. You can tell from the base of each leaf as the bracts that covered the leaves are always sticky. A memory from my childhood when the nature table at this time of year was full of jam jars with sticky buds and other spring time fauna. I have never found they flower when in containers, and also the ones I have planted haven't either. The show of their beautiful leaves in autumn is also spectacular. My granddaughter loves them because we pretend they are the tree's hands and they are going to get us! Are you planning to keep in container or plant, they do grow big of course, although mine which were in containers are quite slow. You could of course chop the top when it has reached the height that is acceptable. Bye for now

JASMINE AMELIA

Hi David

I would go along with Jasmine Amelia and would say it is a Horse Chestnut {Aesculus hippocastanum} seedling.
Are you going to plant it out in the garden or Bonsai it in it's container?

Hi Jasmine Amelia and Tina2,

I had thought so myself, there are plenty horsechestnuts around here, in the park and school grounds. I was hoping that my tree would turn out to be something more exotic. I think that I'll free this one by giving it to the school. Many Thanks - David.

Good idea - for future generations of conker collectors, I like it.

definately horsechestnut, must have pulled up at least 20 throughout the garden in the last 2 weeks.attatched to each one was a conker, buried by a rather forgetfull squirell.......................steve

My friend has a handsome horse chestnut in his garden which grew from a conker planted by his infant daughter (now 50). If you choose to let it grow it will probably be tree-sized in 10 years or so.

Perhaps that's what happened here, Steve, there are a great many squirrels around. Weeding, my "exotic" plant is going to school on Monday, sob, sob! :-)

as a child of the 60/70's we had lots of nature lessons where we looked at 'sticky buds' and watched the leaves unfurl. definitely horse chestnut.

I'm one too, Seaburngirl, and should have known better, I just hoped that this lovely specimen in a pot might have been an exotic, domesticated relative, lol! :-)

it might be a 'plain jane' but it is still a beauty :o)

I do love it Seaburngirl, but it wouldn't be able to thrive in my garden. It will be happier, and better-loved, with its far older relatives in the school grounds. ;-)

what a lovely idea. children hopefully will watch it grow and appreciate all it does.

Hi David, you've got yourself a Horse Chestnut there.
I rescued one from a dirt track as it was being constantly vandalised, one third of it snapped off its height and a bad tear on the trunk.
I reduced its height to about 18", its trunk diameter was 1 3/4" its age was about 7 yrs-ish. Now 10ish yrs later its a quite reasonable Bonsai.

Hi Stjohn!

Now, you've made me want to go to school, dig it up, and bring it back. I can imagine that it could make a stunning bonsai specimen. But, I'll leave mine where it now is. Many Thanks!

PS. Could you show a pic of your bonsai conker?

is it a sweet chestnut tree rather than horse chestnut~the leaves are different. 7 lobes for a sweet one?

Uh-oh,Arlene! Could this be a proverbial "spanner in the works"? I checked the local chestnut trees, and still think that most have just 5 fingers.

~someone may have planted a sweet one deliberately~I have one! grown from a chestnut!

Many Thanx, Arlene!

I still feel better having given it to the school. I always say to the kids, I'll meet you by the big tree when the bell rings - and this wee one isn't too far off! Will he remain "sweet", or will his cousins give him a rebuff with their extra 2 fingers, heehee?