Buckeye trees have fans of five leaves while American and horse chestnut leaves are spans of six or seven. Horse chestnut leaves are much larger than buckeyes or American chestnuts. According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents increasing numbers of children are allergic to conkers due to a decrease in outdoor play doing stuff like, erm, playing conkers. Conkers can be mildly poisonous to many animals, causing sickness if eaten, although some animals can safely consume them, most notably deer and wild boar.
Poisoning: Conkers contain a chemical called aesculin, which can be toxic to dogs if eaten. What are the symptoms?
Dogs can become very unwell if they ingest conkers. They can start vomiting, have diarrhoea, and display abdominal pain and look really uncomfortable. Answer: Conkers contain a naturally-occurring substance called saponin, which repels spiders, lice, fleas and ticks.
At this time squirrels will eat the ripe conkers but also bury others that may turn into future horse chestnut trees if buried before they dry out.
These trees can live for up to years; however, they are under threat from two rather severe conditions. The horse chestnut trees in Kew Gardens had no conkers this year as a result of disease and pest infestation.
All you have to do is put the conker on the ground and gently roll it with your foot. By applying the right amount of pressure, the shell breaks open as you roll it. If tunnels are found inside the nuts, the lesser or larger chestnut weevil is the most likely culprit. Chestnuts offer deer a healthy source of food during the fall.
Due to their flavor, they are a favorite wildlife food. If not prepared properly though, buckeye nuts are toxic to humans, causing symptoms including weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, paralysis, and death. One thing we need to understand is that chestnuts are sweet and they are edible but conkers or horse chestnuts are poisonous, and they are not for eating purposes. Horse chestnuts may look very desirable to eat but it is toxic, and it can even cause paralysis.
This is one of the oldest chestnuts around, a truly classic myth. A well-meaning head teacher decided children should wear safety goggles to play conkers.
Or your first ripening berry or autumn leaf tint? Let us know what's happening to animals and plants near you and help scientists track the effects of climate change on wildlife. Our A-Z guide to British trees from native species to naturalised and widely planted non-natives. Can you eat conkers? And other conker facts. What is a conker? Sweet chestnuts and conkers - what's the difference?
Seen your first conker? Record it on Nature's Calendar Spotting your first ripe horse chestnut seed is one of the seasonal events recorded through our Nature's Calendar project.
Visiting woods. Spot the signs of the seasons Have you seen your first butterfly or swallow of spring?
Join Natures Calendar. Discover more trees, nuts and seeds. The most famous use of horse chestnut is in the game of conkers. The first record of the game is from the Isle of Wight in Horse chestnut timber is a pale creamy-white to light brown, with a smooth, soft, fine texture.
It's not very strong and is therefore not used commercially, but its soft texture makes it ideal for carving. Other uses of the conkers include horse medicines, as additives in shampoos, and as a starch substitute. Chemicals extracted from conkers can be used to treat strains and bruises. The Victorians wrote recipes for making conker flour. The seeds were shelled, ground and then leached to remove bitter flavours.
Do conkers keep spiders away? Do they deter moths? Can you eat conkers? Check out our top six facts and debunked myths. Horse chestnut has been found to be susceptible to fungal diseases. Trees can also be affected by bleeding canker , which can lead to their death. The horse chestnut leaf miner can occur on trees in huge numbers, causing the foliage to turn brown and fall early.
There is no evidence to suggest that this harms the tree, as most of the damage occurs late in the season, but it does affect its appearance. Horse chestnuts may also suffer from a horse chestnut scale insect and Guignardia, which is a genus of fungi that causes leaf blotch. Tell us what's happening to the trees around you and help scientists track the effects of climate change on wildlife.
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