I am new to these forums, and quickly learning to love them for the vast wealth of info they have to offer. My wife and I are new but passionate gardeners, and we truly love it when something works out very well in one of our long term garden plans. For example , a particular tree we have grown to love is our red horsechesnut - intended in the long term to be a shade tree in our hot, south facing back yard. We just adore the beautiful blossoms it has, but also enjoy its lovely leaf structure as well. Here is a picture of one of the blossoms:
There are a few around the Vancouver area - one in particular on Granville just before the airport bridge. The are quite pretty compared to their white cousins. Anne
And with that I feel free to proclaim that a little of these rather harshly colored trees goes a long way, as the late Alan Mitchell wrote. The reddish flowers are in poor contrast to the dark green leaves, a limitation many fuchsias share also. Red Buckeye (A. pavia) has a smaller habit, better leaves and more exotic-looking (tubular) flowers. Perhaps the best one for our Pacific Slope conditions is California buckeye (A. californica). This has made dramatic summer-blooming specimens in western WA, the largest one known in the area at the Carl English Botanical Garden (Government Locks) in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Handsome dark green leaves, contrasting white flower spikes, curious large, leathery fruits and attractive pale bark. Impervious to drought, unlike the familiar humid climate species (including red horse chestnut) which are prone to physiological leaf burn in summer.
Laughing Dog -- Like you, I have a lovely red Horse Chestnut tree in a swelteringly hot location where it appears to thrive. I planted it about 6 years ago when it was a gangly baby tree and it's now about 7' tall and has developed a rather grand and stately shape. This interesting tree has become an anchor for one of my gardens. I, too, am new to posting on this forum, and welcome input from all who love plants.
