Sweet Chestnut, European chestnut
Castanea sativa

Family: Fagaceae

What it is like

Castanea sativa is a deciduous Tree growing to 30 m (98ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in July, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Bees. It is noted for attracting wildlife. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 30

Where it is found

Woods in mountains.

S. Europe. Long naturalized in Britain.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 5

Seed - raw or cooked. A somewhat astringent taste raw, it improves considerably when cooked and is delicious baked with a floury texture and a flavour rather like sweet potatoes. The seed is rich in carbohydrates, it can be dried, then ground and used as a flour in breads, puddings, as a thickener in soups etc. The roasted seed can be used as a coffee substitute. A sugar can be extracted from the seed.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.

Medicine

Rating: 2

Although more commonly thought of as a food crop, sweet chestnut leaves and bark are a good source of tannins and these have an astringent action useful in the treatment of bleeding, diarrhoea etc. The leaves and bark are anti-inflammatory, astringent, expectorant and tonic. They are harvested in June or July and can be used fresh or dried. An infusion has been used in the treatment of fevers and ague, but are mainly employed for their efficacy in treating convulsive coughs such as whooping cough and in other irritable conditions of the respiratory system. The leaves can also be used in the treatment of rheumatism, to ease lower back pains and to relieve stiff muscles and joints. A decoction is a useful gargle for treating sore throats. The plant is used in Bach flower remedies - the keywords for prescribing it are 'Extreme mental anguish', Hopelessness' and 'Despair'.

Antidiarrhoeal: Provides symptomatic relief for diarrhoea. Also see Astringent.

Antiinflammatory: Reduces inflammation of joints, injuries etc.

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Bach: Plants used in the Bach flower remedies.

Expectorant: Clears phlegm from the chest by inducing coughing.

Other

Rating: 5

Tannin is obtained from the bark. The wood, leaves and seed husks also contain tannin. The husks contain 10 - 13% tannin. On a 10% moisture basis, the bark contains 6.8% tannin and the wood 13.4%. The meal of the seed has been used as a source of starch and also for whitening linen cloth. A hair shampoo is made from the leaves and the skins of the fruits. It imparts a golden gleam to the hair. Wood - hard, strong, light. The young growing wood is very durable, though older wood becomes brittle and liable to crack. It is used for carpentry, turnery, props, basketry, fence posts etc. A very good fuel.

Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

Starch: Used as a fabric stiffener.

Tannin: An astringent substance obtaied from plants, it is used medicinally, as a dye and mordant, stabilizer in pesticide etc.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.

Industrial Crop: Biomass: Three broad categories: bamboos, resprouting woody plants, and giant grasses. uses include: protein, materials (paper, building materials, fibers, biochar etc.), chemicals (biobased chemicals), energy - biofuels

Industrial Crop: Tannin: Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Global Crop: These crops are already grown or traded around the world. The annual value of each is more than $1 billion US Examples include coconuts, almonds, and bananas.

Industrial Crop: Tannin: Occur generally in the roots, wood, bark, leaves, and fruit of many plants. Used in tanning leather, dyeing fabric, making ink, and medical applications.

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Attracts Wildlife: Plants noted for attracting wildlife

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Prefers a good well-drained slightly acid loam in a sunny position but it also succeeds in dry soils. Once established, it is very drought tolerant. Plants are very tolerant of highly acid, infertile dry sands. Averse to calcareous soils but succeeds on harder limestones. Tolerates maritime exposure though it is slower growing in such a position. The dormant plant is very cold-hardy in Britain, though the young growth in spring, even on mature plants, is frost-tender. The sweet chestnut is often cultivated for its edible seed in warm temperate zones, there are several named varieties. Both 'Marron de Lyon' and 'Paragon' produce fruits with a single large kernel (rather than 2 - 4 smaller kernels) and so are preferred for commercial production. Castanea sativa x crenata: The hybrid sweet chestnut ‘Marigoule’ is a good choice If you only want to grow one tree as Marigoule is a partly self-fertile cultivar. Sweet chestnuts require a warm dry summer in order to ripen their fruit properly in Britain and even then these seeds are generally inferior in size and quality to seeds grown in continental climates. Most species in this genus are not very well adapted for the cooler maritime climate of Britain, preferring hotter summers, but this species grows well here. An excellent soil-enriching understorey in pine forests. Flowers are produced on wood of the current year's growth and they are very attractive to bees.. Plants are fairly self-sterile. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus. At one time this tree was widely grown in coppiced woodlands for its wood, but the practise of coppicing has fallen into virtual disuse. Trees regrow very quickly after being cut down, producing utilizable timber every 10 years. This species is not often seen in Cornwall though it grows very well there. Trees take 30 years from seed to come into bearing. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. In garden design, as well as the above-ground architecture of a plant, root structure considerations help in choosing plants that work together for their optimal soil requirements including nutrients and water. The root pattern is fleshy. Thick or swollen - fibrous or tap root .

Propagating it: Seed - where possible sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in a seed bed outdoors. The seed must be protected from mice and squirrels. The seed has a short viability and must not be allowed to become dry. It can be stored in a cool place, such as the salad compartment of a fridge, for a few months if it is kept moist, but check regularly for signs of germination. The seed should germinate in late winter or early spring. If sown in an outdoor seedbed, the plants can be left in situ for 1 - 2 years before planting them out in their permanent positions. If grown in pots, the plants can be put out into their permanent positions in the summer or autumn, making sure to give them some protection from the cold in their first winter.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;

Habit: Tree

Hardiness: 5-7

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. vesca. C. vulgaris. Fagus castanea.

Sweet Chestnut, European chestnut Castanea sativa