SimplePlant

Sapindaceae

Horse-chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum L.

Family
Sapindaceae
Genus
Aesculus

Pets and kids

  • CatsToxic
  • DogsToxic
  • KidsToxic
Why

Cats: Toxic

Toxic to cats (severe). Toxic principle: aesculin, aescin.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, muscle weakness, depression.

Dogs: Toxic

Toxic to dogs (severe). Toxic principle: triterpenoid saponins (aesculin, aescin).

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, staggered gait, tremors, seizures.

Kids: Toxic

Toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: saponin aesculin.

Signs: stomach irritation, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, drowsiness, muscle twitching.

Horse-chestnut: Naturdenkmal 678.N.59 "Kastanien an Hofers Keller, 2 Rosskastanien, 'Hofers Kastanien'" in Wettringen, Gemeinde Stadtlauringen, Landkreis Schweinfurt
Photo: Stephan van Helden, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Is Horse-chestnut safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Horse-chestnut safe for cats?

No. Our sources call Horse-chestnut toxic to cats (severe). Toxic principle: aesculin, aescin. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, dilated pupils, muscle weakness, depression.

Is Horse-chestnut safe for dogs?

No. Our sources call Horse-chestnut toxic to dogs (severe). Toxic principle: triterpenoid saponins (aesculin, aescin). Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, staggered gait, tremors, seizures.

Is Horse-chestnut safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Horse-chestnut toxic to young children (severe). Toxic principle: saponin aesculin. Signs: stomach irritation, muscle weakness, difficulty walking, drowsiness, muscle twitching.

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Common names

By language (63)
Albanian
Gështenja e egër
Arabic
كستناء الحصان, بلوط بري, بو فروة الحصان, قسطنه هندي
Armenian
Ձիակասկ սովորական
arz
كستناء الحصان
Asturian
Castañal de La India
Azerbaijani
Adi atşabalıdı
Basque
Indi gaztaina, Indi gaztainondo, Indi-gaztaina, Indigaztaina, Indigaztainondo, Itsas gaztaina
Belarusian
Конскі каштан звычайны
Bosnian
Divlji kesten
Bulgarian
Обикновен конски кестен
Cantonese
馬栗, 七葉樹, 歐洲七葉樹, 白花七葉樹
Catalan
Castanyer d'Índia comú
Chinese
欧洲七叶树, 歐洲七葉樹, 娑罗子, 猴板栗
Croatian
Divlji kesten
Czech
Jírovec maďal, Kaštan, Kaštan koňský
Danish
Almindelig Hestekastanje, Hestekastanje
Dutch
Witte paardenkastanje, Witte paardekastanje
English
Horse-chestnut, Horse chestnut, Buckeye, Common horse chestnut, Conker tree, European horse chestnut, European horsechestnut, Horse chestnut tree
Esperanto
Hipokastano, Hipokaŝtano
Estonian
Harilik hobukastan
Finnish
Hevoskastanja, Balkaninhevoskastanja
French
Maronnier, Marronier, Marronier d'inde, Marronnier commun, Marronnier d'Inde
frr
Hingstkastanje
Galician
Castiñeiro de Indias, Castiñeiro das bruxas
Georgian
Ცხენისწაბლა
German
Gewöhnliche Rosskastanie, Gemeine Rosskastanie, Gewöhnliche Roßkastanie, Rosskastanie, Weiße Rosskastanie
Greek
Αγριοκαστανιά, Αίσκουλος η Ιπποκαστανέα, Αίσκουλος το ιπποκάστανο, Αγριοκαστανιά - Ιπποκαστανιά, Ιπποκαστανιά
gsw
Rosskastanie
Hebrew
ערמונית הסוסים, אאסקולוס
hsb
Běły jěrowc
Hungarian
Közönséges vadgesztenye, Bokrétafa, Fehér vadgesztenye, Vadgesztenye
Icelandic
Hestakastanía
io
Kastaniero, Marono
Irish
Crann cnó capaill
Italian
Castagno d'India, Ippocastani, Ippocastano
Japanese
セイヨウトチノキ, チェストナットバッド, ホワイトチェストナット, マロニエ
Korean
마로니에, 서양칠엽수
Latvian
Parastā zirgkastaņa, Zirgkastanis
Lithuanian
Paprastasis kaštonas
Luxembourgish
Wëlle Käschtebam
Macedonian
Див костен, Обичен див костен
Norwegian Bokmål
Hestekastanje
Norwegian Nynorsk
Hestekastanje
Occitan
Marronièr d'Índia
Persian
شاهبلوط هندی
Polish
Kasztanowiec zwyczajny, Kasztanowiec biały, Kasztanowiec pospolity
Portuguese
Castanheiro-da-índia, Castanha da Índia, Castanha-da-índia, Castanheiro da índia
Romanian
Castan sălbatic, Castan salbatic
Russian
Конский каштан обыкновенный, Каштан конский обыкновенный
sc
Ippocastanu
sco
Chestane
Serbian
Дивљи кестен
Serbian (Latin)
Divlji kesten
sgs
Kaštuons
Slovak
Pagaštan konský, Gaštan pravý
Slovenian
Navadni divji kostanj
Spanish
Castano de Indias, Castaña borde, Castaña de Indias, Castaña loca, Castaña pilonga, Castañas pilongas, Castañera borde, Castaño borde
Swedish
Hästkastanj, Hästkastanje
Turkish
Beyaz çiçekli at kestanesi
Ukrainian
Гіркокаштан звичайний, Гіпокаштан звичайний, Каштан кінський, Кінський каштан звичайний
Vietnamese
Dẻ ngựa
Welsh
Castanwydden y meirch
wuu
欧洲七叶树

Synonyms

  • Aesculus asplenifolia Loudon
  • Aesculus castanea Gilib.
  • Aesculus hippocastanum f. beaumanii (C.K.Schneid.) Dole
  • Aesculus hippocastanum f. pendula (Puvill.) Rehder
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. argenteovariegata Loudon
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. aureovariegata Loudon
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. beaumanii C.K.Schneid.
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. flore-pleno Loudon
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. incisa Booth ex Loudon
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. pendula Puvill.
  • Aesculus hippocastanum var. variegata Loudon
  • Aesculus memmingeri K.Koch
  • Aesculus procera Salisb.
  • Aesculus septenata Stokes
  • Hippocastanum aesculus Cav.
  • Hippocastanum vulgare Gaertn.
  • Pawia hippocastanum (L.) Kuntze

Characteristics

Growth habit
Tree
Lifespan
Perennial
In the US and Canada
Canada: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced

Photos

More in Aesculus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.