Aesculus x carnea Briotii

This medium-sized chestnut tree bears large dark red panicles of flowers at the end of spring, with orange spots, and does not produce chestnuts. It forms a tree 10 to 12m (32ft 10in to 39ft 5in) tall and 8m (26ft 2in) in diameter, with palmate foliage, divided into 5 dark green wavy leaflets. It is perfectly hardy and not very demanding in terms of soil and exposure, and tolerates drought quite well.

Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii' is a horticultural hybrid obtained in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, often planted as an avenue tree. It is a cross between Aesculus hippocastanum, a more vigorous subject, native to the mountain plains of northwestern Greece, and Aesculus pavia, a small tree or bush native to the southeastern United States, with scarlet flowers and more drought-resistant. 'Briotii' forms a small chestnut tree with a straight trunk, 10 to 12m (32ft 10in to 39ft 5in) tall and 8m (26ft 2in) wide, perfectly hardy, widely used in avenue alignments. It has a medium growth rate, with a rounded, compact habit and forms a dense ovoid crown. Its large branches produce smooth, slightly sticky buds. Its deciduous leaves, 15cm (5.9in) wide, are divided into 5 elliptical and wavy leaflets, with a few large teeth, dark green in colour. Their undersides are slightly lighter. They turn beautifully yellow or orange in autumn. The inflorescences, in the form of large upright panicles, slightly larger and darker than those of Aesculus x carnea, bloom in May-June. The small flowers, very abundant, are dark purplish red with orange spots. The flowering is sterile, preventing the formation of fruits, which are often considered a constraint for road maintenance. The trunk of this small tree is covered with smooth, dark grey bark.

Aesculus x carnea 'Briotii' adapts to any deep and fertile, humus-rich soil, preferably moist although it is more drought-resistant than its parent, the Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), and a sunny location. It can be used as a specimen tree but also in a shrub bed associated with a Hydrangea paniculata, an Hydrangea quercifolia, a Cotinus 'Royal Purple', rosebay laurels or even a large rhododendron if the soil is acidic. Planted as a specimen or in a row along a large alley, it can accompany the flowering of the cream-white-flowered Horse Chestnut as well as perennials such as peonies, daylilies, and roses in a romantic-style garden.