#148 Castanea sativa Common Names: Spanish chestnut, European chestnut, sweet chestnut Family: Fagaceae (beech Family) Get link to this Profile or click for data record #148

This handsome Spanish chestnut stands guard at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Atlanta, Georgia.

The chestnuts are found inside these burrs.

Culture
Spanish chestnut is susceptible to chestnut blight, the devastating fungus disease that was introduced into North America from Asia around 1900 and within 40 years had killed every mature American chestnut (C. dentata) on the continent. Spanish chestnut is not quite as susceptible to chestnut blight as is American chestnut, and apparently the disease cannot tolerate the cooler, wetter summers of northern Europe, England and the American Pacific Northwest. For some reason, chestnut blight kills Spanish chestnuts almost everywhere in North America but hardly at all in Europe. If you want to grow chestnuts in North America you are limited to blight resistant Japanese chestnut (C. crenata), Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima) and hybrids that are resistant to chestnut blight.
Light: Full sun.
Moisture: Spanish chestnut, once established, is tolerant of drought. It does best in sandy, well drained soils and is highly tolerant of acidic soils. If kept too dry when young, Spanish chestnut may remain as a shrub and never grow to tree size.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5 - 7.
Propagation: Chestnuts are generally propagated by budding or grafting on seedling stock. The seedlings are produced by sowing fresh seeds. Dried seeds may not germinate.

Detail of Spanish chestnut bark.

Chestnuts have less oil and more starch than most nuts and so are used differently in cooking. Roasted chestnuts are a wintertime favorite on both sides of the Atlantic.

Features
Spanish chestnut is the source of most of the edible chestnuts marketed in the U.S. Throughout most of Europe cultivated chestnuts (marrons) are an expensive gourmet food. In contrast, wild (or feral) chestnuts are widely enjoyed. In southern Europe, they make a flour from chestnuts that is similar to wheat flour in protein, starch and fat but lacks the gluten; breads and cakes made with chestnut flour tend to fall apart unless some wheat flour is added. The Italians made polenta from chestnut flour before the introduction of corn from the New World, and before potatoes were introduced, chestnuts were the basic food of the poor in much of southern Europe.

Steve Christman 10/1/00; updated 11/12/03

Copyright 1996 - 2009 Floridata.com LC Tallahassee, Florida USA