Horse-Chestnut Library

First, find out whether the nuts you will be collecting are from a tree that’s native to your region. Check with your state department of natural resources or a local nursery for a list of native trees. White oaks, for example, are native throughout much of the country and produce one of the most commonly found acorns. The Ohio buckeye is an American native, but the buckeye-like horse chestnut comes from Europe. The easiest place to start collecting nuts is on your own property. If you want to collect nuts from someone else’s property or from a public space, seek permission from the landowner or grounds manager. Most people are grateful to have the nuts cleared from the ground. Look for trees that are likely to yield healthy seeds. Avoid collecting nuts that come from trees that show signs of insect infestation or disease.

Nuts usually fall in autumn—around October in most temperate states. Only collect nuts that have ripened enough to fall to the ground; do not pick them from the tree. Most nuts, particularly acorns, are best when they’ve just dropped to the ground. If they’re ripe enough, the caps are usually missing or easily removed. Larger nuts tend to yield larger seedlings. Use buckets or bags made out of materials that allow air flow—burlap, mesh, and paper work well. Plastic bags promote rotting. Label the nuts by species type and collection location. Separate nuts of different species into different bags. This will help later in deciding where to plant the nuts or how to raise them. If you are uncertain about the exact species of the tree, collect one leaf and stem to include with the nuts for identification. Otherwise, keep sticks, leaves, and other debris out of the collection bags. Don’t bother collecting nuts with obvious problems. A hole in a nut usually indicates that some insect has already eaten the seed and bored its way out. Other indicators of a bad nut include darkened color, dried up appearance, or noticeably light weight.

Herbal extract is a liquid solution of herbs and alcohol. The dried or fresh herbs are combined with alcohol, then the solid matter is removed leaving only the oils of the herbs mixed with the alcohol. This process is called extraction, hence the name, herbal extract. For example an extract made from peppermint and alcohol would be called "peppermint extract."

Most commercially sold extracts have a herb to alcohol ratio printed on the label. When dry herbs were used to make the extract the ratio is commonly 1 part dried plant to 4 parts liquid, (alcohol and water). When fresh herbs are used the most common ratio is 1:1. This does not indicate the amount of that herb in the bottle, rather the ratio used in making the extract. Example: Dry herb strength: 1:4 means that the mixture used to produce the extract was 4 parts liquid, (alcohol and water) and one part dried plant. This is not the same as an ingredients list which is also present on most commercial extracts.

Herbal extracts are sold as dietary supplements and alternative medicine and commonly used for flavoring in baking and other cooking much like vanilla extract.

The raw, unprocessed horse-chestnut seeds can be toxic. Avoid ingestion. Horse-chestnut uses during pregnancy and lactation has not been fully validated, especially in the first trimester. Use only under professional supervision. Avoid internal use in children. Avoid internal use in patients with kidney or liver disease. Do not apply gels, ointments, or lotions on ulcerated or broken skin. In rare cases, side effects such as nausea, gastric upset and rash may occur. Since horse-chestnut contains active principles that may interfere with normal blood clotting, patients with bleeding disorders or those taking aspirin or warfarin should consult a health care professional before taking this herb. Discontinue internal use of this herb at least one week before surgery.

1565 - Centuries of Use of Horse Chestnut Horse chestnut's botanical properties were first described by Italian medical botanist Mathiole in 1565. Planetary Formulas Horse Chestnut Vein Strength combines a concentrated extract of horse chestnut with key herbs used to support the vascular system, including witch hazel bark, butcher's broom and ginkgo leaf extract.

1576 - Planted in most towns and parks for it's beautiful appearance, the Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum was introduced from Istanbul in 1576.

1615 - This tall tree is indigenous to the Balkans and not India as its French name might suggest. It was brought from Constantinople and introduced into France in 1615. The name Horse Chestnut came about as the Turks used to feed chestnuts to their horses.

Jul 4, 1776 - On July 4, 1776, Mr. Whipple proudly penned his signature on the Declaration of Independence, and when he came back to Portsmouth he planted a horse chestnut in the side yard, which has flourished into the beautiful tree which we admire so much today.

Uses in homeopathic medicine

Aesculus is used in homeopathic medicine for pain in the sacroiliac region and rectal pain.

To best replicate the natural process, nuts should be planted as soon as possible after collection. If that’s not feasible, then you need to store the nuts in a cold place. Place them in sealable plastic bags with a handful of peat moss to stave off mold or bacteria. Leave the bag slightly open or poke a couple of holes in it, and then put it in a refrigerator. This keeps the nuts safe for about a month, until the conditions are right for planting. If you want to store the nuts through winter, then you need to simulate winter conditions while the nut remains dormant. For acorns, place them in one-gallon sealable plastic bags with some peat moss and store them in a refrigerator set at 34 to 36 degrees Fahrenheit. For hickory nuts, pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts, create a moist mixture of half sand and half ground peat. Place nuts in a storage container with an airtight lid, then store in a cool, unheated location until spring.

Horse-chestnut is used mostly as a seed extract. For oral ingestion, tablets and tinctures are available. Suppositories are used against hemorrhoids. Externally, liquid extracts can be applied as gels, ointments or lotions. The raw seed is toxic. Do not confuse horse-chestnut with sweet chestnuts. Sweet chestnuts belong to a different plant species and are non toxic.

Preparations made from the horse-chestnut seed are used principally against circulatory disorders, such as varicose veins, hemorrhoids, chronic venous insufficiency and edema (abnormal accumulation of liquid under the skin).