where are sweet chestnut trees found

Sweet chestnut

• Typical location Parkland, designed landscapes, fields, woodland (often found as coppice) and wood pasture. Occasionally avenues, street trees and gardens.
• Age Sweet chestnut may be able to live for 1,000 years, although 600 may be more typical on many sites. ...
• Size Sweet chestnut can grow up to 9m plus in girth. ...
• Ancient characteristics Girth is large ...

Full Answer

How long before a chestnut tree bears fruit?

Like most trees that bear fruit, it takes a few years for chestnut trees to produce chestnuts. You can expect to see chestnuts from a young tree within 3-5 years of being planted. Trees that are grown in colder climates may take a little longer – more like 5-7 years, typically.

Are the nuts from a chestnut tree edible?

There are four different varieties of edible chestnuts: American, European, Chinese and Japanese. The chestnut tree is related to the beech and the oak tree. Chestnuts used to be the main starch staple in Europe until the potato was introduced. When edible chestnuts are boiled the nuts have a similar texture to potatoes, with a sweet nutty flavor.

What is the scientific name for sweet chestnut tree?

Castanea sativa, the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor, and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world. A substantial, long-lived deciduous tree, it produces an edible seed, the chestnut, which has been used in cooking since ancient times.

Is the chestnut tree evergreen?

The Tahitian chestnut is a medium-sized, evergreen tropical tree. It may grow to 30 m in height, though 20 m is more usual, with a crown diameter of 4–6 m. Mature tree trunks have a typical diameter at breast height of 300 mm, although some grow to a diameter of 900 mm.

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Do sweet chestnuts grow in the US?

The chestnut is native to warm, temperate areas the Northern Hemisphere. The United States is one of the few nations in the world that can grow chestnuts and does not have a significant commercial chestnut industry.

Where are chestnut trees found in the US?

American chestnuts have been located on Beaver Island, a large island in northern Lake Michigan. Hundreds of healthy American chestnuts have been found in the proposed Chestnut Ridge Wilderness Area in the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania.

Are there any chestnut trees left in the United States?

There are an estimated 430 million wild American chestnuts still growing in their native range, and while the majority of them are less than an inch in diameter, they're easy to find if you know what you're looking for.

What is the difference between a horse chestnut tree and a sweet chestnut tree?

while sweet chestnut trees grow in woods, forests or groves; each horse chestnut leaf consists of several oval "leaflets", which give the whole leaf a palm-shaped appearance, whereas sweet chestnut leaves are simple and elongated without leaflets.

Why don't we eat chestnuts at Christmas in North America anymore?

The blight spread, and within 40 years, nearly every American chestnut was dead. Other varieties of chestnut are still eaten all over the world, just as they have been for centuries.

Can you eat chestnuts raw?

They have a spiny husk and a dark brown shell, both of which must be removed before eating. Chestnuts have been a food source for thousands of years. They can be eaten raw, roasted, ground into flour, or mixed into pastries.

Which state produces the most chestnuts?

These Michigan trees are the only ones in all of North America that were able to survive the blight and grow back.” Today, Michigan has the most acres of any state devoted to chestnut production and the largest number of chestnut-growing farmers, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

Can you eat chestnuts from a chestnut tree?

Sweet chestnuts are edible, but horse chestnuts are poisonous. If eaten, they can cause digestive problems such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and throat irritation. More than one in 10 cases of poisonous plants being mistaken for edible plants involve horse and sweet chestnuts.

Can you grow a chestnut tree from a chestnut?

Seed Source If you are gathering your own seed, be aware that isolated, unpollinated chestnut trees will produce burs anyway, with little, flat, shriveled nuts inside-these are not viable. Chestnuts are incompatible so you need more than one tree to produce viable nuts.

How do you identify a sweet chestnut tree?

Sweet chestnut is a deciduous tree which can reach 35m when mature and live for up to 700 years. They belong to the same family as oaks and beeches. The bark is grey-purple and smooth, and develops vertical fissures with age. The twigs are purple-brown and buds are plum, red-brown and oval in shape.

Is a sycamore tree the same as a horse chestnut?

The bark of a mature Horse Chestnut tree is quite similar to that of a Sycamore, but the trunk is often more deeply fluted, as in the example pictured below.

What to do if you eat a horse chestnut?

If someone has unintentionally eaten part of a horse chestnut, you can help them by doing the following: Gently wipe out their mouth. Have them rinse with water and spit to remove remaining plant material from their mouth. They can drink a few small sips of water to rinse the remaining material into their stomach.

Do chestnuts grow in North Carolina?

There's actually probably 4 million chestnut trees still alive in the state of North Carolina in the mountains. 4 million trees is nothing compared to the billions of chestnut trees that once dominated our forests.

Are American chestnuts edible?

The nuts of American chestnut are quite edible – they are crunchy and sweet. The bur of a horse chestnut is smooth with long spines, and looks a bit like a spiny golf ball. The bur splits in half along one seam and houses one large, shiny nut, which is often more irregularly shaped.

Do chestnut trees grow in Georgia?

About one quarter of the hardwood forests in Georgia were comprised of the chestnut. This tree is a rapid grower and can reach huge sizes. Trees would regularly reach 100 feet in height and 6 feet in diameter.

What was the largest American chestnut tree?

115-foot-tallThe 115-foot-tall tree is growing on land in Lovell, Me. that was bequeathed to the University of Maine Foundation. Prior to donating it to the University Foundation, the Volk family owned the property for more than 100 years.

Horse Chestnut Tree

Horse chestnut trees grow well in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 9. They require full sunlight and moderate water during their growing season. They do best if they get regular fertilization. If you live in an area where it gets cold in the winter, you might want to consider planting a horse chestnut tree outside your home.

Common Chestnut Tree

Common chestnut trees are easy to grow and thrive in USDA hardiness zone 6 through 10. They prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. They need adequate moisture during the summer months. They like fertile soil and should be planted near a source of water.

English Chestnut Tree

English chestnut trees are trendy because they are fast-growing and easy to care for. They are very tolerant of both heat and cold temperatures. They are not as tall as the common chestnut tree, but they still reach 30 feet. They are great for urban areas because they don’t require much space.

Japanese Chestnut Tree

Japanese chestnut trees grow up to 40 feet tall. They are very drought resistant and can withstand freezing temperatures, which means they’re super easy to nurture. Japanese chestnut trees grow well indoors and outdoors. They like full sun and moist soil. They are slow-growing, so you may need to wait three years before seeing any fruit production.

Italian Chestnut Tree

Italian chestnut trees are one of the tallest trees on earth. They can grow up to 100 feet tall and wide. They are incredibly adaptable and can survive in a variety of climates. They require full sun and lots of water during the growing season.

Chinese Chestnut Tree

Chinese chestnut trees produce delicious nuts and are native to China and Japan. They are usually grown commercially in Asia. They have large crops of tasty nuts each year. In addition, they are easy to grow.

American Chestnut Tree

The American chestnut tree was once found throughout North America. Unfortunately, the invasive fungal disease called chestnut blight wiped out most of them. Now there are only about 200 American chestnuts left. They are protected by law and cannot be removed or destroyed.

Where are sweet chestnuts native to?

Sweet Chestnuts facts and health benefits. Native to the Mediterranean in south-eastern Europe to Caucasus in Asia Minor. Castanea sativa usually referred to as the Spanish or Sweet Chestnut is a deciduous broadleaf tree native of Mediterranean in south-eastern Europe to Caucasus in Asia Minor. It is a species of flowering plant in ...

How tall is a sweet chestnut tree?

Sweet Chestnut is a medium to large deciduous tree growing to 20–35 m (66–115 ft.) tall making a handsome specimen in any park or garden. It has a spreading crown and trunk diameter reaching 2 m and deeply fissured bark. Branchlets are tomentose. Plant is normally found growing in mild cool climate Mediterranean or sub-temperate climate with good annual rainfall and adequate moisture and thrives in deep well-drained, fertile, sandy or loamy soils. It is highly tolerant of acidic soils, gravelly or stony soils but intolerant of calcareous soils, heavy clays and impermeable soils. The normal lifespan of sweet chestnut plant is about 700 years. It has a deep tap root and barks are normally grey-purple and smooth, which develops vertical fissures with age.

What are some common names for chestnuts?

Chestnut, Chestnut Tree, Edible Chestnut, European Chestnut, Italian Chestnut, Marron, Portuguese Chestnut, Spanish chestnut and Sweet Chestnut is some of the common names of the sweet chestnuts. Chestnuts are a major food crop in regions where they are grown.

How to peel a chestnut?

First you need to pick over the nuts, discarding any with weevil holes. Then make a shallow X in the flat side of each nut with a sharp knife, aiming to go through the shell but not to cut into the meat beneath. Now the nuts are ready to cook, and there are four main methods, the easiest being boiling. But first, the secret to peeling them quickly: chestnuts are easier to peel when they are warm and damp. Whichever method you choose, wrap the cooked chestnuts in a damp tea towel to keep them warm while you peel the others. Remove the shell and pellicle (the bitter inner skin), and you’re good to go.

What is a Spanish chestnut tree?

Spanish chestnut is a wonderful huge shade tree for parks, estates and avenues and occasionally planted for erosion control in Mediterranean countries.

What is sweet chestnut flour used for?

They are used for flour, bread making, as a cereal substitute, coffee substitute, a thickener in soups and other cookery uses, as well as for fattening pig stock. Italian and Corsican polenta (type of porridge) is made with sweet chestnut flour. A local variety of Corsican beer also uses sweet chestnuts.

Where did chestnuts originate?

History. Sweet chestnut is considered to have originated from Mediterranean in south-eastern Europe to Caucasus in Asia Minor. Wild or naturalized populations occur throughout southern Europe, northern Africa and southwestern Asia.

What is a chestnut tree?

Chestnut trees are large deciduous trees with large, pointed leaves, long, finger-like flower clusters, and brown edible nuts. Chestnuts are easily identifiable due to the spiky burs growing in clusters and containing the fruit—a brown-shelled nut encasing creamy-white flesh. Chestnut trees have a straight, broad trunk with deeply furrowed bark and a large spreading rounded canopy.

How to identify an American chestnut tree?

You can identify American chestnuts in landscapes by their broad, spreading rounded crown, twigs with a reddish hue, and bumpy, ridged bark.

How tall is a Chinese chestnut tree?

The Chinese chestnut tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows 40 to 60 ft. (12 – 18 m) tall and up to 60 ft. wide. Chinese chestnuts are identified by their broad crown, ovate or lanceolate leaves with serrated margins and long flowering catkins 1.5” to 8” (4 – 20 cm) long. The Chinese chestnut tree also produces edible nuts, which are 1” (3 cm) in diameter.

What is the difference between a horse chestnut tree and a chestnut tree?

There are other differences between chestnuts and horse chestnut trees. Horse chestnut leaves are more rounded, and they have larger clusters of flowers. Additionally, horse chestnut leaves grow palmately, where as chestnut leaves grow in a simple arrangement alternately along branches.

Why are chestnut trees important?

In addition, because American chestnut trees are faster growing than oak, they had greater commercial value.

How long are chestnut leaves?

Chestnut tree leaves: The sweet chestnut tree leaves are 6” to 11” (15 – 28 cm) long with a coarsely toothed margin and prominent veins from the midrib to the edges. The chestnut tree leaves turn a golden yellow in the fall.

How much sunlight does a Dunstan chestnut tree need?

The Dunstan chestnut tree thrives in USDA zones 5 to 9. Plant the tall tree in well-draining loamy soil where it gets at least six hours of sunlight daily.

Where are chestnut trees native to?

The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus Castanea, in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.

How tall do chestnut trees grow?

dentata that could reach 60 m. Between these extremes are found the Japanese chestnut ( C. crenata) at 10 m average; followed by the Chinese chestnut ( C. mollissima) at about 15 m, then the European chestnut ( C. sativa) around 30 m.

What do chestnuts represent?

Always served as part of the New Year's menu in Japan, chestnuts represent both success and hard times—mastery and strength. The Japanese chestnut ( kuri) was in cultivation before rice and the Chinese chestnut ( C. mollissima) possibly for 2,000 to 6,000 years.

How much energy does a chestnut have?

Fresh chestnut fruits provide about 800 kJ (190 kcal) of food energy per 100 g of edible parts, which is much lower than walnuts, almonds, other nuts, and dried fruit (about 2,500 kJ or 600 kcal per 100 g). Chestnuts contain very little fat, mostly unsaturated, and no gluten.

What family is chestnut in?

Chestnuts belong to the family Fagaceae, which also includes oaks and beeches. The four main species groups are commonly known as American, European, Chinese, and Japanese chestnuts.

Why are chestnut trees rare in Greece?

In the Mediterranean climate zone, chestnut trees are rarer in Greece because the chalky soil is not conducive to the tree's growth. Kastania is located on one of the relatively few sedimentary or siliceous outcrops.

How high can a tree grow?

Trees can be found at altitudes between 200 and 1000 m above sea level; some mention between 300 and 750 m altitude, while the famous Hundred Horse Chestnut on Mount Etna stands at 1200 metres. They can tolerate maritime exposure, although growth is reduced.

Which countries have a sweet chestnut tree?

Italy, France, southern Switzerland, Spain, Portugal and Greece are countries with a strong sweet chestnut tradition, with trees cultivated intensively in coppices and orchards. Countries like England, Croatia, Turkey and Georgia only have a partially developed sweet chestnut tradition due to geography or history.

How long do chestnut trees live?

The tree requires a mild climate and adequate moisture for good growth and a good nut harvest. Its year-growth (but not the rest of the tree) is sensitive to late spring and early autumn frosts, and is intolerant of lime. Under forest conditions, it will tolerate moderate shade well. It can live to more than 2,000 years of age in natural conditions, see the poetically-named " hundred-horse chestnut " in eastern Sicily for example.

How tall is a C. sativa tree?

C. sativa attains a height of 20–35 m (66–115 ft) with a trunk often 2 m (7 ft) in diameter. The bark often has a net-shaped (retiform) pattern with deep furrows or fissures running spirally in both directions up the trunk. The trunk is mostly straight with branching starting at low heights. Sweet chestnut trees live to an age of 500 to 600 years. In cultivation they may even grow as old as 1000 years or more. Their large genetic diversity and different cultivars are exploited for uses such as flour, boiling, roasting, drying, sweets or wood. The oblong-lanceolate, boldly toothed leaves are 16–28 cm (6–11 in) long and 5–9 cm (2–4 in) broad.

How to harvest chestnuts?

The fruit yield per tree is usually between 30 and 100 kg, but can get as high as 300 kg. Harvest time is between middle of September and middle of November. There are three harvesting techniques: 1 By hand: The sweet chestnuts are harvested by rake or broom, with a harvest speed of 5 to 30 kg every hour depending on the soil relief. Also, the capsule makes the harvest more complicated and even painful for the worker. 2 By hand with nets: This technique is less time-consuming and protects the fruits from injuries. However, setting up the nets is work intensive. 3 Mechanical: The fruits are collected with a machine that works similarly to a vacuum cleaner. Doing so is time-saving and economical, but it's possible that some fruits get injured, and a big initial investment is needed. Furthermore, a visual sorting is not possible.

What is the Latin name for a sativa?

Other common names include "Spanish chestnut", or "marron" (French for "chestnut"). The Latin sativa means "cultivated by humans". Some selected varieties are smaller and more compact in growth yielding earlier in life with different ripening time: the Marigoule, the Marisol and the Maraval.

Where is Castanea sativa native to?

Castanea sativa, the sweet chestnut, Spanish chestnut or just chestnut, is a species of tree in the family Fagaceae, native to Southern Europe and Asia Minor , and widely cultivated throughout the temperate world.

Where did C. sativa originate?

sativa is thought to have been introduced during the colonisation of the Italian peninsula by the Greeks. Further clues pointing to this theory can be found in the work of Pliny the Elder, who mentions only Greek colonies in connection with sweet chestnut cultivation. Today's phylogenetic map of the sweet chestnut, while not fully understood, shows greater genetic similarity between Italian and western Anatolian C. sativa trees compared to eastern Anatolian specimen, reinforcing these findings. Nonetheless, until the end of the pre-Christian era, the spread and use of the chestnut in Italy remained limited. Carbonised sweet chestnuts were found in a Roman villa at Torre Annunziata near Naples, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79.

Where is sweet chestnut native to?

Sweet chestnut is native to southern Europe, western Asia and North Africa. It is thought to have been introduced to the British Isles by the Romans and today can be found commonly throughout the UK, especially in parts of southern England.

How old is the oldest chestnut tree?

The oldest known sweet chestnut tree grows on Mount Etna in Italy and is said to be around 190 feet in circumference, it is thought to be around 2000-4000 years old.

What is the difference between a horse chestnut and a conker tree?

Horse chestnut or conker tree (Aesculus hippocastanum) which has similar nuts, but those of the sweet chestnut are smaller and found in clusters. The leaves are completely different, with sweet chestnut having single, long, serrated leaves and horse chestnut having hand-shaped leaves with deeply divided lobes.

What is sweet chestnut?

Sweet chestnuts are a really versatile and nutritious food. People in Europe have been collecting these spiky green parcels for thousands of years. When you know what’s in them, it’s easy to see why!

How big does a sweet chestnut tree get?

Sweet chestnut cuts a distinctive figure in many parklands. It can grow up to 35 metres. These trees are known for their broad crown, a sometimes massive trunk girth, and their longevity.

What wood is used in milennia?

Aside from food, we have been using sweet chestnut wood for all sorts of building applications for milennia. To get the best wood, coppicing is employed to promote the growth of numerous stems. Carpenters and joiners like the wood for its grain and colour

Why is the bark of a sweet chestnut blue?

The blue colour in the bark of sweet chestnut could be due to copper. Significant concentrations of the metal are found the nuts

What is the color of chestnut bark?

Sweet chestnut bark has narrow fissured grey-brown bark occasionally reveals blueish-green colours. I would guess this comes from its stores of copper, given that the nuts have relatively high concentrations of this metal, weight for weight.

How to melt a chestnut ball in chocolate?

Melt some high coco chocolate in a bain marie or such like, and using a spoon or fork, dip the chestnut ball into the chocolate. I find that doing it twice ensures total coverage. place carefully onto tin foil to cool.

Is chestnut wood good for building?

Sweet chestnut wood makes good building wood. By coppicing the tree you force it to produce many hopefully, straight stems

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