Red Horse Chestnut A hybrid of the naturalised horse chestnut and Aesculus pavia, Aesculus x carnea Briotii is a large, deciduous tree with a rounded crown, very similar to, but smaller than the horse chestnut. Magnificent ‘candles’ – conical panicles – of bright pinkish-red flowers with yellow centres appear in May, followed in autumn by green fruits, less spiky than a horse chestnut’s, which split to reveal the ‘conkers’. Like the horse-chestnut it comes early into leaf and the leaves go over early; the leaves are large and dark green, divided into leaflets which are often slightly twisted. The Red Horse Chestnut is said to be more disease-resistant than the horse-chestnut. This very popular tree holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Site: Tolerates exposureSoil: Any reasonably well drained soilPosition: Full sun or partial shadeSeason of Interest: Spring, autumnHardiness: Fully hardyHeight: 50-65ft (15-20m) Spread: 30-50ft (9-15m)