In 2007, a 170-year-old horse chestnut tree in Amsterdam became the centre of a global campaign.

The local government saw it as a risk to surrounding buildings and condemned it. But the public stood in their way.

Because this wasn’t just any tree. It was the symbol of hope that Anne Frank wrote about in her diary.

In this episode of Plant Connection, we explore how the horse chestnut tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) became a symbol of hope.

But that’s not all. The tree has provided entertainment for children, food for insects and many more uses for hundreds of years.

Covered in this episode:

• Why the horse chestnut tree sparked international action.
• A surprising eco-friendly use for conkers you can try at home.
• What the horse chestnut tree reveals about our changing climate.
• The history of playing conkers.
• The WWI campaign that saw children collecting conkers.
• And more…

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe to Plant Connection on your favourite podcast platform so you don’t miss the next one.

LEARN MORE

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LISTEN

Plant Connection - https://plant-connection.captivate.fm 

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6ZDb9ovKXRTomKYnyqF8Rv 

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/plant-connection/id1801774758 

CREDITS

Script - Jacob Ashton (https://jacobashton.net/)

Research - Adriana Gogolin

Produced by Claricast.