39. Horse Chestnut

Tree Tour

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Seventeen horse chestnut trees line Skagit Lane, forming a shady colonnade. Native to Greece and Albania, this species was introduced to the U.S. in the 1740s because of all large shade trees it has the showiest floral display, with foot-long clusters of white flowers in late April or early May, a rich sight against the large dome of green foliage. Unlike the original chestnut tree the nuts produced by this species are inedible. Squirrels gather many, and plant those that they don't eat; witness many wild horse chestnut seedlings hereabouts. The leaves turn to gold or pale brown in autumn, revealing large sticky buds which will burst with a flourish early next spring. The name "horse chestnut" was probably given originally because the fruits were known as At-kastan (horse chestnut; Castanea equina) to the Turks, who found them useful as a drug for horses suffering from broken wind or coughs.

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