Is this fruit edible, please?

As I said Sheena on the previous page

It's been very entertaining reading all your suggestions. Thanks.

Just off to make a batch of blackberry and apple jelly then out in search of ripe elderberries for more jelly.

I love making preserves , I'm a credit to the WI....

I think you ve solved it Sheena

Yes, I think you're right sheena. It's an Indian Horse Chestnut tree.
Disappointing to hear that it's very toxic- I had thought the fruit might make good chutney!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202008/medium-168175-download.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202008/medium-610332-indian-horse-chestnut-aesculus-indica-hippocastanaceae-himalayas-bh4t1t.jpg

I do believe it's an Indian Horse Chestnut... we have several in our local park.. ornamental tree.

It must look lovely in the spring, something to look forward too.

Thank you maizie.

I stopped looking at this thread after I revealed the name of the fruit, but I'm touched by the concern of the grans who thought that maybe I'd had a little nibble of the fruit and suffered some dire consequence!

The tree is growing on some rough ground in what used to be an orchard, which is why I thought it's fruit might be edible.

Interestingly, when I cut it open to look at the seeds, the flesh oxidised almost immediately. Apparently it contains lots of tannin so probably tastes awful, but I didn't try, honest!.

Red flowered horse chestnut:
a hybrid of horsechestnut and red buckeye, so lots of us were on the right path (nearly).

Oh, missed it!
It's been a busy day.

Thanks for the update.

oldgoat

Morning all.

I'm still in the land of the living, having resisted the urge to sample the mystery fruit.

I've consulted a local 'expert who assures me that it's a........

(pregnant pause to build up the tension)

red flowered horse chestnut. Not edible.

Thanks for all your interesting suggestions.

Off to do a bit more foraging now that the rain has stopped.

oldgoat seems to be alive and well and has had the mystery fruit identified (hurrah )

See her post above from this morning...

It looks very like this tree although the leaves are slightly different. Seems to be a type of Chestnut though?
Buckeye
Ohio buckeye (Aesculus glabra) is usually a small to medium-size tree (20-40 feet tall) with palmately compound leaves with 5 leaflets.

Is it an Ohio buckeye? Aesculus glabra, which is part of the horse chestnut family.
That is what I think it is.

Where's oldgoat - is she ok?

Sweet chestnuts have very prickly shells - almost impossible to pick up without gloves. Chestnuts from white 'candles' have pricklier shells than ones from pink 'candles', latter not really prickly.

Is it an Ohio buckeye? Aesculus glabra, which is part of the horse chestnut family.

The leaves are wrong for conkers or sweet chestnuts.

For the amusement of those who say conkers are poisonous, many years ago, my sister, then aged about 2, was found eating several conkers. She appeared to be enjoying them, and strenuously objected when our mother removed them from her and made her spit out what was left in her mouth! She is still around nearly 70 years later to tell the tale.

I’ve looked it up with my ‘picture this’ plant identifying app.
It says it’s a horse chestnut, Conker tree. It also says “ your plant appears to be rotting, inspect and treat immediately!”
Poisonous to humans and livestock apparently.

According to my plant app it's definitely an unripe horse chestnut (conker).

They look more like horse chestnuts to me!

Don't look like hazelnuts or walnuts. I have both in my garden and could forward photos for comparison if only the dratted squirrels hadn't got there first.

Usually, the outer skin on walnut casings is green.

Assume this fruit is poisonous, unless and until you can find a botanist to tell you what it is.

Yay! Mystery solved. Go safe foraging oldgoat.

Morning all.

I'm still in the land of the living, having resisted the urge to sample the mystery fruit.

I've consulted a local 'expert who assures me that it's a........

(pregnant pause to build up the tension)

red flowered horse chestnut. Not edible.

Thanks for all your interesting suggestions.

Off to do a bit more foraging now that the rain has stopped.

Conkers are sometimes smooth and brown.

Looks like a conker to me.