TREE OF THE MONTH
Photos provided by J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co.
By Leonard Phillips, ASLA Emeritus
Trade Name: Fort McNair Horsechestnut
Botanical Name: Aesculus x carnea 'Fort
McNair'
Family: Hippocastanaceae
Parentage: Discovered at Fort McNair in
Washington DC.
Year of Introduction: 1991
Hardiness Zone*: 4 – 7
Height: 32 feet
Spread: 30 feet
Growth Rate: Medium, less than 2 feet
per year
Form: Rounded
Bloom Period: Early May
Flower: Pink with yellow throat in
panicles
Fruit: Brown capsules
Foliage: Palmately compound leaves with
many impressed veins
26 Arbor Age / October 2013
Spring Color: Mid green
Summer Foliage: Dark green
Autumn Foliage: Yellowish
Winter Color: Interest in bark and form
Bark: Dark gray to brown, many shallow
fissures create scales
Habitat: Does well in North America
Culture: Well drained soil, avoid dry
sites; full sun to part shade; tolerates
most pH levels
Pest Resistance: Resistant to leaf blotch
disease
Storm Resistance: Good
Salt Resistance: Moderate
Planting: Transplant B&B or container
only when tree is young
Pruning: Prune in early spring only
Propagating: Budding, grafting, softwood
cuttings
Design Uses: Useful in large planting
areas, parking lots, open spaces, highway
medians where large spread can be
accommodated
Companions: Most groundcovers
Other Comments: Leaf blotch resistance
and beautiful spring flowers make this
tree very popular
Available From: Select nurseries, may
require some searching
* For information about the USDA
Hardiness Zone Map, visit
www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/index.html
These are the personal observations of the
author, living in New England – Zone 6.
Leonard Phillips can be reached via e-mail
at lenphillips@on-line-seminars.com
www.arborage.com
