The horse chestnut's scientific name is Aesculus hippocastanum. It grows naturally in the moist mountain valleys of parts of Albania and Greece. These trees are seen at their best when grown in the open reaching up to 35m (115 feet) with the arching branches normally turned up at the ends. It is one of the largest flowering trees of the temperate world. Other species are found in North America where the glossy nuts appearing from the spiny shells give them the name of "buck-eye" as the chestnuts resemble the eye of a deer. The pink and red flowered forms are hybrids between the horse chestnut and red American buck-eyes. (Newbury, MA - May 2006)
Dahlia is a genus of bushy, summer- and autumn-flowering, tuberous perennials that are originally from Mexico, where they are the national flower. In 1872, a box of Dahlia roots were sent from Mexico to the Netherlands. Only one plant survived the trip but produced spectacular red flowers with pointed petals. Nurserymen bred from this plant, which was named Dahlia juarezii with parents of Dahlias discovered earlier and these are the progenitors of all modern Dahlia hybrids. Ever since, plant breeders have been actively breeding Dahlias to produce hundreds of cultivars, usually chosen for their stunning and brightly coloured flowers.br> Dahlias are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Angle Shades, Common Swift, Ghost Moth and Large Yellow Underwing. The dahlia is named after Swedish 18th-century botanist Anders Dahl.The dahlia is the official flower of the city of Seattle. (Newbury, MA - May 2006)
