It was very windy over the weekend, so a lot of autumn leaves fell to the ground,
together with quite a few horse chestnuts "ripe for the picking" now. Looking them up in Wikipeda I see that they're actually not even good for horses to eat, though.
"The seeds, especially those that are young and fresh, are slightly poisonous, containing alkaloid saponins and glucosides. Although not dangerous to touch, they cause sickness when eaten; consumed by horses, they can cause tremors and lack of coordination."
Still, even though they're not really "good" for anything, I can rarely resist picking up some freshly fallen ones from the ground, this time of year. No reason except that I've always done that. Never to eat - only to look at and feel, and maybe put two or three in my pocket to take home. Just because they're smooth and shiny - and confirm that autumn is here.
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| Aesculus hippocastanum |
Maybe put a few in a pretty bowl and set it out for fall.
ReplyDeleteGinny, yes, I've sometimes used them for temporary decorations.
DeleteI've heard that they are good for tanning, though I don't know anyone who actually tans leather at home anymore. I've also heard that they are good to make dye for clothing out of. That too, is a lost art. maybe Ginny has a good plan, put them in a bowl and enjoy their beauty.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar tree here in Australia, probably brought over by early Englsih settlers who also brought garden plants like roses.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried eating them but the texture of them is so smooth and nice to touch, have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteIve heard they are good at keeping spiders out of your home as they don't like them. Put a few in places where you know spiders frequent.
ReplyDeleteAddy - Interesting, but luckily spiders are not in the habit of frequenting my flat :)
DeleteI love conkers - and we have a big tree of them at the top of our drive. They have such a tactile quality.
ReplyDeleteYes, they do, don't they! :) I picked some more today, "just because"... (put them in a bowl at home)
DeleteHorse chestnuts are so beautiful when new. My neighbor when I was a child had a large tree and I would always pick a few up from the ground. So pretty I agree.
ReplyDeleteI haven't checked wikipedia, but here in Germany, horse chestnuts are collected and given to deer parks to feed the animals there. We did that, too, when we were kids; apparently deer don't react badly to them, otherwise I can't imagine this practice having gone on for decades.
ReplyDeleteThe first glossy conker I found this year sits on the chest of drawers in my tiny hallway right now. When it'll start to shrink, it'll go.
Meike, it does sound logical that they should be useful as food for at least some kind of creatures! ;) The first three I picked are sitting on the chest of drawers in my hallway too, but have already dried and shrunk a bit. I picked some more and bigger glossy ones yesterday in the park in town and put in a small bowl in the living room...
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