Horse chestnut: medicinal properties, how to grow

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut and contraindications have been known to people for more than one hundred years. From time immemorial, chestnut fruits have been used to treat many diseases. Tinctures, ointments, decoctions are prepared from it, and all the constituent parts of the plant are used as a basis for them: flowers, bark, kernels, leaves. Especially highly valued in modern folk medicine is such a medicinal property of horse chestnut as the ability to improve the protein composition of the blood, which prevents the formation of blood clots in the blood vessels.

Botanical description of the common horse chestnut

Horse chestnut (also Aesculus or Acorn) is a plant of the Sapindaceae family, originally from Greece. The height of an adult tree varies from 25 to 35 m. One of the distinctive features of the horse chestnut is its developed root system, which goes several meters deep. The trunk of the plant is dark brown in color. It is powerful enough and ends in a lush, spreading dome-shaped crown.

Horse chestnut shoots are covered with large buds. The flowers of the tree are white with a pinkish tinge. Flowering begins in May. Chestnut fruits fully ripen by the end of September - beginning of October. They are irregular in shape and covered with a pale green spiny skin. The diameter of the fruit reaches an average of 5 cm. The nut inside the fruit is shiny, with a smooth dark brown surface.

Horse chestnut leaves have pale green tones and are distinguished by transverse venation. The leaf plate is palmate, with smooth edges. Each leaf is held on petioles of medium length. The leaf arrangement of the horse chestnut is opposite.

The photo below shows a young horse chestnut, whose height reaches 15 m.

Where does horse chestnut grow

The homeland of the horse chestnut is the Balkan Peninsula, namely Greece, also Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia and Macedonia, where this tree grows in deciduous forests. In Russia, horse chestnut is adjacent to linden, ash and maple in the middle zone. In the Russian Federation, it is used within the city as a decoration for parks and playgrounds.

Why is horse chestnut useful?

Horse chestnut has been famous since ancient times for its medicinal properties, which have been widely used in folk medicine and pharmacology in the manufacture of a number of medicines. These medicinal properties are possessed by the fruits of the plant, and not only - the bark of a tree, leaves, flowers, roots, horse chestnut seeds and even walnut shells are also considered medicinal.

Horse chestnut affects the human body as follows:

• tones up the condition of the veins;
• prevents blood clots;
• accelerates blood flow;
• lowers blood viscosity;
• dulls acute pain;
• heals minor wounds;
• relieves puffiness;
• has a diuretic effect;
• lowers body temperature;
• removes cholesterol;
• promotes the removal of toxins and heavy metal salts;
• reduces the risk of developing tumors;
• relieves inflammation;
• normalizes the acidity of the stomach;
• normalizes the digestive tract;
• lowers blood pressure.

All components of the plant are rich in vitamins, acids, useful trace elements and enzymes. This chemical composition explains the wide range of medicinal properties of chestnut. Eating any parts of the plant in one form or another, even in small doses, can replace a full course of multivitamins.

The healing properties of horse chestnut flowers

Horse chestnut flowers are widely used in the manufacture of various rubbing ointments. Their properties are used to treat:

• joint pain;
• hemorrhoids;
• thrombophlebitis;
• diseases of the veins;
• leukemia;
• endarteritis and a number of other diseases.

In addition, decoctions and tinctures are prepared from horse chestnut flowers, which help with many blood diseases. Before using the petals for the preparation of medicines, they must be dried - for this, the flowers are first laid out in a sunny place, and then dried in the shade.

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut fruits

Chestnut fruits contain tannins and a whole range of vitamins (C, K, B1, etc.), as well as fraxin.

Unripe fruits can harm human health. Raw materials are harvested when the fruits themselves fall to the ground.

The healing properties of the leaves

Chestnut leaves are rich in pectins and carotenoids. They are used as a basis for decoctions and infusions for the treatment of vascular diseases, elimination of gynecological problems and with uterine bleeding. Among the medicinal properties of the leaves are primarily analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects on the human body.

It is not recommended to collect leaves from trees that grow along roads and near plants.

The healing properties of the bark

Horse chestnut bark contains vitamin B1, tannins and fraxin. The fees, which include the bark, have antipyretic and astringent effects.

The use of horse chestnut in traditional medicine

There are many recipes for horse chestnut medicines to treat a wide range of conditions. In folk medicine, it is used for:

• varicose veins;
• hypertension;
• diarrhea;
• prostatitis;
• diseases of the gallbladder;
• uterine bleeding;
• thrombophlebitis;
• chronic venous insufficiency;
• hemorrhoids;
• recovery of the body after radiation therapy;
• venous stasis;
• vascular atherosclerosis;
• endarteritis;
• neuralgia;
• increased acidity of the gastric environment;
• leukemia;
• swelling of the kidneys;
• joint pain;
• arthritis;
• inflammation of the muscles;
• radiculitis;
• pulmonary tuberculosis;
• anemia.

When applied externally in the form of ointments or compresses, chestnut-based medicines relieve inflammation on festering wounds, alleviate the consequences of extensive burns and frostbite.

Horse chestnut with prostatitis

Horse chestnut peel is widely used in folk medicine for the treatment of prostatitis in men. The following recipe for chestnut liqueur is quite popular:

1. The peel of the chestnuts is removed from the fruit, dried and crushed to a fine-grained powder.
2. The resulting mass is poured with medical alcohol in a ratio of 1:10. For this, usually 70% alcohol is used, which can also be replaced with vodka.
3. The solution is thoroughly mixed and left to infuse. If the mixture contains alcohol, then it is kept for 2 weeks. Vodka tincture must be infused for a month.

Take horse chestnut tincture in the treatment of prostatitis 1 time a day, 10 drops before meals. The duration of the course is 3 weeks.

Horse chestnut for veins

One of the most famous medicinal properties of horse chestnut is its ability to reduce the level of blood density, which prevents the formation of blood clots in the vessels. This quality is especially valuable in the treatment of capillary fragility and thrombophlebitis.

Chestnut tincture has proven itself well in the treatment of vein diseases according to the following recipe:

1. 50 g of chestnut flowers are poured into 500 ml of vodka.
2. The liquid is kept for 2 weeks, periodically shaking the vessel.
3. After this period, the tincture is filtered through cheesecloth, after which it is ready for use.

Take such a tincture in a course of 4 weeks. Recommended dosage: daily 3 times half an hour before meals in the amount of 30-40 drops.

Horse chestnut flowers are also used to make juice, which helps in the treatment of varicose veins and hemorrhoids. The juice is prepared very simply - for this, a freshly squeezed base is mixed with water in a proportion of 20 drops per 1 tbsp. spoon. Take chestnut juice 2 times a day, morning and evening, every day for a month.

Finally, warm baths based on a decoction of chestnut bark are useful for veins. For this, chestnut raw materials are poured with water in a proportion of 50 g per 1 liter of water and cooked over low heat for about half an hour. The cooled infusion is added to the bath.

For joint diseases

Alcohol tinctures and decoctions based on raw materials from horse chestnut effectively treat rheumatism, relieve pain and inflammation in the joints.

The classic recipe for horse chestnut tincture is very popular. It is prepared as follows:

1. 20-25 fruits are peeled.
2. Raw materials are cut into small pieces, after which they are loaded into a meat grinder or blender.
3. The resulting viscous gruel is poured into 1 liter of vodka, the solution is thoroughly stirred and removed for 2 weeks in a dark, dry place.
4. Then the tincture is filtered 1-2 times through cheesecloth, after which it is ready for use.

For the treatment of joints, decoctions from chestnut leaves are also used. The cooking scheme looks like this:

1. 1 tbsp. l. raw materials are poured with 500 ml of water.
2. The mixture is boiled over low heat or in a water bath for 20-25 minutes.
3. The cooled mixture is poured into a container, after which it can be used.

The broth is taken orally 10-15 minutes before meals, 100 g every day for 2-3 weeks. In addition to its main purpose, chestnut broth also helps with disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, rehabilitation after tuberculosis and the first manifestations of gout.

For respiratory tract diseases

Decoctions for diseases of the respiratory tract are prepared on the basis of all parts of the tree, but most often the leading component is the bark and young shoots of horse chestnut. A decoction is prepared according to the following scheme:

1. Pre-dried raw materials are ground to a powder or gruel in a blender or coffee grinder.
2. 100 of the resulting powder is poured into 1.5 liters of water.
3. The solution is thoroughly stirred and boiled until boiling, after which it is kept on low heat for another 20-30 minutes.
4. Then the broth is infused until it cools completely.

With hemorrhoids

For the treatment of hemorrhoids, first of all, chestnut ointment is used. Prepare it as follows:

1. The fruits are peeled and finely chopped.
2. 50 g of raw materials are poured into 250 g of melted lard.
3. All this is thoroughly mixed and diluted with 250 g of badger fat, after which the mixture is stirred again.
4. The resulting workpiece is brought to a boil and kept on low heat for another half hour.
5. Then the ointment is slightly cooled, filtered through cheesecloth and poured into a previously sterilized container.

Contraindications

Despite the extensive list of useful properties of horse chestnut, excessive use of preparations based on it can cause serious harm to human health. In addition, there are a number of contraindications to the use of products derived from this plant, namely:

• pregnancy;
• breast-feeding;
• individual intolerance (allergy);
• hypotension (low blood pressure);
• menstrual irregularities;
• colitis;
• intestinal atony;
• decreased blood clotting;
• renal failure;
• constipation;
• liver disease;
• gastritis.

It is not recommended to give horse chestnut preparations to children under 10 years of age.

Possible side effects after using medicines from chestnut raw materials:

• swelling;
• itching;
• rash;
• stomach upset;
• weakness and dizziness, nausea;
• dyspnea.

At the first sign of allergy, you should immediately stop taking the drug and seek help from a doctor.

How to grow horse chestnut from walnut

Horse chestnut is grown both with the help of seedlings and from walnut. In the second case, only 1 piece will be enough.

The process of growing horse chestnut from walnut is as follows:

1. 1 ripe chestnut that has fallen to the ground, peeled and soaked in water.
2. A nut swollen with moisture will sprout in 12-14 days. The grown seedling is removed and transferred to a pot with soil.
3. The container is removed to a cool room before the onset of spring.
4. In the last days of May, the grown seedlings are planted in open ground. To do this, choose a cloudy cool day. It is not recommended to plant a horse chestnut in extreme heat.

In order for the seedlings to better take root in a new place, it is better to harden them before planting in a permanent place. For this:

1. Pots with planting material are taken out into the street 2-3 weeks before planting.
2. At first, the walk lasts about 15-20 minutes. Then this interval is increased to 30 minutes, and then to 1 hour.
3. Gradually, the time spent on the street horse chestnut reaches 5-6 hours.
4. The day before transplanting, the planting material is left in the fresh air for 12-15 hours.

Planting and caring for a plant in the open field

Before planting a horse chestnut in your garden, you need to choose the right place for future plantings. This should be an open, well-lit area, where a group of trees will not be crowded. Thickening of plantings is fraught with the development of fungal infections.

In addition, you should not plant the plant too close to residential buildings and fences. The recommended distance from the building to the plant is 5-6 m.

The composition of the soil does not really matter, but it is better to give preference to fertile soils. The best option is black soil. On heavy clay soils, horse chestnut will not develop well, however, even this type of soil can be corrected by adding sand.

Planting a horse chestnut is very simple:

1. A hole 50-60 cm deep is dug in the selected area.
2. A mixture of the top layer of earth, humus and dolomite flour is placed on the bottom of the pit.
3. A layer of fertilizer is sprinkled with a thin layer of earth and the roots of the seedling are laid out on top.
4. Then the hole is covered with earth and lightly pressed by tamping it.
5. Finish planting with watering. If desired, you can place a peg next to the seedling to support the plant.

Horse chestnut care involves, first of all, periodic watering. The soil in the area of ​​the trunk circle should not dry out and be covered with cracks. During prolonged rains, watering is reduced or stopped altogether, since stagnant water can cause rotting of the root system of the tree.

Otherwise, the plant does not require much attention to itself and grows well without human intervention, except for periodic treatments from pests and diseases.

Diseases and pests

One of the key advantages of the horse chestnut is the excellent immunity and resistance of the tree to most diseases and pests. Landings practically do not get sick with anthracnose and spotting. Insects also rarely annoy the trees, only occasionally there are invasions of bagworms and borers, but you can quickly get rid of them with the help of Karbofos. As a preventive measure against diseases, planting is treated with Bordeaux liquid.

In this millennium, however, one pest has appeared that is capable of causing significant harm to the development of the horse chestnut. This is a chestnut or miner moth. Control measures for this insect are poorly understood, so it is very difficult to get rid of it.

Leaves affected by the pest dry out in a matter of days and soon fall off. This usually occurs in July - early August. By the end of autumn, the chestnuts weaken and most often freeze completely in winter. In order to reduce the likelihood of damage to plantings by a mining moth, it is necessary to regularly remove fallen leaves under the trees, since insect pupae are hiding in the heap of leaves. All garbage is then burned. If the chestnut does get sick, chemical preparations are used in the form of injections directly under the bark of the tree.

Reviews on the use of horse chestnut

Conclusion

The medicinal properties of horse chestnut and contraindications are known to many. Of course, the list of medicinal properties of the plant is much wider than the list of contraindications, but before using funds based on it, it is recommended to consult a doctor. In addition, fresh horse chestnut fruits must not be consumed - the raw materials must be processed. Also, the medicinal properties of the plant can be harmful if abused. Excessive consumption of drugs based on it can cause widespread skin irritation.

You can learn more about the medicinal properties of horse chestnut from the video below:

Recommended entries

How to cook chestnuts, how are they useful?

Chestnut tincture: medicinal properties and contraindications

How to plant walnut chestnuts

Walnut Ideal: description, photo, reviews

Bear walnut (Hazel tree)

How to store walnuts

Growing hazelnuts from walnuts

The best and frost-resistant varieties of walnuts

Stalked almonds, steppe and other varieties