Horse chestnut

Horse chestnuts really are a tree for all seasons. In spring and early summer there is a magnificant flower display, with white candle-like spikes surrounding the canopy. Autumn, as every school child knows, offers up the conker - a nut that has been used in playground battles for centuries. These 'big guns' of the battlefield replaced the cobnut and snail shells used previously. The horse chestnut tries to protect its seeds in a spiny case. They are also mildly poisonous if eaten, although some creatures can safely consume them. This iconic tree is native to the Balkans.

More...