Conker collecting has encouraged many a stick to be thrown into a Horse Chestnut tree. The candle or flower heads are even more spectacular than the crop of conkers that they give birth too.
In Britain, the return to school after the summer holidays is synonymous with conkers. Originally played with cobnuts or snail shells, the use of the horse chestnut in the popular children’s game was first recorded in 1848. Since 1965, the World Conker Championships have taken place every year in Oundle, Northamptonshire. Kew.org
The fruits of this tree vaguely resemble those of the (Sweet) Chestnut tree but they are not related. They develop in prickly cases, and are ripe in September and October – the ‘conker’ season.
Read about our series on British tree reviews with a bakers dozen fact sheets
Credits “Horse Chestnut tree by JeanM1 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 “Conkers by MamaPyjama CC BY 2.0
Read more on gardenerstips.co.uk