Quercus

European Horsechestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum

Not native to Kentucky

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Yellow Buckeye
    Aesculus flava

    Similar growth form, height, evergreen or deciduous

  • Black Oak
    Quercus velutina

    Similar growth form, height, spread

  • Chestnut Oak
    Quercus montana

    Similar growth form, height, spread

More natives for your garden

Check a whole list of plants

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

40CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including KY

Genus host records with ranges including KY · Aesculus

  • Achatia distinctaDistinct Quaker
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Amyelois transitellaNavel Orangeworm
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Archips argyrospilaFruit-Tree Leafroller Moth
  • Archips rileyanaSouthern Ugly-Nest Caterpillar Moth
  • Cecrita biundataWavy-Lined Heterocampa
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
Show all 40
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Epiglaea declivaSloping Sallow
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Isa textulaCrowned Slug
  • Lithophane antennataAshen Pinion
  • Lithophane baileyiBailey's Pinion
  • Lithophane groteiGrote's Pinion, Green Fruit Worm
  • Lithophane joannisBuckeye Pinion
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger Moth
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Proteoteras aesculanaMaple Seed Caterpillar, Maple Twig Borer
  • Psaphida rolandiRoland's Sallow
  • Pseudexentera spolianaBare-Patched Leafroller
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trigrammia quadrinotariaFour-Spotted Angle
  • Cameraria aesculisella
  • Olethreutes appalachiana
  • Olethreutes hippocastanum
  • Olethreutes monetiferanum
  • Olethreutes ochrosuffusanum
  • Olethreutes sciotana
  • Stigmella apicialbella
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Sapindaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4a–7b
Flower color
Yellow, red or white

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

European Horsechestnut

Conservation status

Kentucky rankNot available
Global rankGNR
KY statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources