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Article: European and Japanese horse chestnuts differentiated by heartwood color.(Wood of the Month)
- Article from:
- Wood & Wood Products
- Article date:
- January 1, 2004
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2004 Vance Publishing Corp. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Horse chestnuts in Europe (Aesculus hippocastanum) are very similar to the Japanese horse chestnut (Aesculus turbinate), which is native to Japan.
Trees related to both species grow in many parts of the world. More than 20 similar species grow in the United States and are known as buckeyes (Aesculus octandra). In the U.S., chestnut is the name used most often for the species Castanea dentata of the family Fagaceae.
The wood from the European horse chestnut is creamy white and can be used for general turnery, carving, furniture and cabinetry. The wood is a favorite for making handles and brushbacks as well as kitchen utensils, fruit storage trays, boxes ...