Bach Flower Remedies
White Chestnut

Aesculus hippocastanum

Horse chestnut is a tree that grows up to 30m. It grows quickly and probably does not live much beyond 150 years. The trunk is strong and erect with many spreading boughs so the tree has a rounded outline; since cattle eat the leaves up to their head height it often has a flat base. The bark is scaled and breaks into rough squares; the leaves are palmate with five or seven large leaflets. The flowering spikes have blooms on short stalks which are predominantly white, with yellow centers which turn red after pollination. The sticky buds and brown conkers are well known. There is an Indian horse chestnut (A. indica) with similar flowers but more pointed leaves and smooth grey bark.

Flowering Period

White chestnut flowers in May and June.

Preparation

White chestnut is prepared by the sun method. Pick the individual flowers when newly open from several different trees and float them on to the surface of the water.

Uses

Worrying or troublesome thoughts; mental arguments.

This remedy is helpful whenever the mind is unable to rid itself of unrelenting worrying thoughts. These are the thoughts that go round and round, that plague and pester so that no matter how interesting other activities might be the mind will be only temporarily distracted and always returns at the first opportunity to the subject of worry. This state of mind may result in insomnia, restlessness or an apparent lack of interest in what is going on around.

The White Chestnut state in animals gives rise to a similar restless state of mind. The animal may give its emotional state away by its body language or by whimpering, whinnying or crying. It may also become excessively active or agitated. This may suggest other remedies as well, but White Chestnut should be considered as a helper remedy for restless, troubled-looking animals.

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