
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 17, 1994                   TAG: 9404160006
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

CAN'T HELP BUT LOVE A HORSE CHESTNUT

If a vote were taken among children to determine their favorite tree, the nod probably would go to the horse chestnut. The horse chestnut's claim to fame is not its lumber, which is just about useless, or edibility of its nuts, but instead the wide, expansive shape of its branches and its golden brown fruit. Horse chestnut tree limbs are more suited to climbing than most playground equipment, and although inedible, the nuts can keep children busy for hours.

Originally the tree came from the Balkans. It made its way as an ornamental into Turkey and eventually was introduced into the formal gardens of Western Europe.

It was in Turkey that the tree earned its name. It is absolutely no relation to the chestnut tree. Horse chestnut is the literal translation for ``atkastane,'' which is the Turkish name for the tree. Supposedly the Turks fed the nuts to horses to cure a variety of their ills.

In England the horse chestnut enjoys a special popularity. A day is actually set aside to honor the tree. Chestnut Sunday is a moveable feast set between May 19 and May 26, depending upon the tree's blooming schedule. On this day people journey by the thousands to enjoy the horse chestnut trees that are planted near the Thames.

The horse chestnut came to America during Colonial times, when many unusual and exotic trees were planted on the 18th-century estates of wealthy settlers.

By the late 1700s, sizable trees bearing blossoms could be found growing throughout the colonies. The tree gradually spread northward and west with the pioneers. It became a symbol of progress and proved that the new settlers could finally afford to plant something for beauty and shade rather than just for a by-product. Thriving horse chestnut trees were a sign that a town was both prosperous and permanent.

The tree grows well in most locations but prefers rich cool loam and plenty of room. With these ideal conditions the horse chestnut tree can become a magnificent sight. It can reach 100 feet in height with a massive girth of 20 feet. Enormous branches curve downward in a bell-shaped canopy of dense shade.

The horse chestnut has one of the most complex flowers of any tree. They are very large, with showy, erect clusters of red-tongued white blossoms with yellow spots. The leaves are as elaborate as the flowers. They are compound with seven leaflets, each from five to seven inches long.

Horse chestnuts begin to blossom in our area in late April and early May. The flowers are followed by fruits that ripen into chestnut-like nuts. It is these nuts, massive stature and elegant blossoms that make this tree so well-known and loved.

Yes, its wood is soft and brittle and of no value as a lumber. It burns badly, and none of its by-products can satisfy one's appetite. Yet few trees are as popular and enjoyed as the horse chestnut tree. It has decorated our gardens for five centuries, and it is hoped it will continue to thrive here for many years to come.

Patricia Held is a Bedford County free-lance writer and author specializing in natural history. She will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.

by CNB