*Aesculus carnea Hayne. (A. Hippocastanum
X A. Pavia) CHESTNUT. Goat Island, . Flowers brilliant red.
Horticultural tree planted at various stations around the Island, P. M. Eckel, 1984 (BUF).
[Aesculus glabra Willd.]
BUCKEYE. "Spontaneous near Lewiston. From the west," Day (1888).
Not reported for the
Niagara Frontier Region by Zander and Pierce (1979), although Mitchell (1986)
lists it for New York State as a rare tree, planted and escaping. It is rare in
Canada (Oldham & Darbyshire in Argus, et al., 1987). They report it as
"Possibly extirpated in New York," but it is not on the Rare Plant
Status List of the New York Natural Heritage Program (Young, 1992). This is a
south and western species occasionally planted, growing naturally north to
Pennsylvania, south to Alabama and west to Nebraska (Bailey, 1949).
*Aesculus
hippocastanum L. HORSE-CHESTNUT. Ontario,
Niagara Park System, Cameron (1895). "Frequent in cultivation, but rare as
an escape, as at Goat Island, Niagara Falls, the gorge of Niagara River,
Devil's Hole and Niagara Glen and Queenston, Ontario," Zenkert (1934).
"Introduced ... an escape from cultivation that has become well
established in several regions, especially at the Glen and Queenston ....
Several specimens near Brock's Monument are over one hundred years old,"
Hamilton (1943). ). "Dufferin Islands, [Niagara]
Glen," sight records, Yaki (1970).
New York: Devil's Hole, 6-8 feet high, "small
trees also at Niagara Glen [Ontario]," Zenkert Oct. 18, 1930 (BUF) [the
trees at Devil's Hole are much larger now]; Goat Island, central woods, Single
tree observed, quite
mature in Acer saccharum, Fraxinus Americana mixed woodland. Eckel 8704054 (BUF); half-way up wooded
slope below Whirlpool Point, Eckel 8705239 (BUF); Scovell's Knoll, Lewiston,
Eckel & Eckel 870658 (BUF); along dolomite lip of the Niagara Gorge between
RR Bridge and Whirlpool Park. Single horticultural tree, flowers spottedwith
red, orange, yellow. P. M. Eckel 453185 May 25, 1985 (BUF). Ontario: Navy
Island, .South end.P. M. Eckel s.n. Sept. 30, 1998 (BUF).
Mr. Ed Drabek, former City
Forester, City of Buffalo, NY, suggested these trees were planted in Buffalo,
in association with or by Italian immigrants reminiscent of the edible
chestnuts of Europe (pers. comm.).
*Aesculus hybrida DC. (A.
octandra X A. pavia). Goat Island, east side meadow,
planted, 1988 (BUF).
