The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa), also known as the Spanish chestnut or European chestnut, is a species of tree in the flowering plant family Fagaceae.
Growing up to 35 m (115 ft) tall and with trunks over 4 m (13 ft) wide, the tree has long toothed leaves. Its long catkins contain both male and female flowers, the latter producing brownish nuts with spiky sheaths in the fall. The tree can live for hundreds of years.
The species is native to Southern Europe and Anatolia, and widely cultivated in Western and Central Europe. It provides food for animals but is affected by fungal pathogens. The starch-containing seed, the chestnut, is edible to humans and has been used in cooking since ancient times.
Description
Castanea sativa is a deciduous tree attaining a height of 20–35 metres (66–115 feet) with a trunk often 2 m (7 ft) in diameter. Around 20 trees are recorded with diameters over 4 m (13 ft) including one 7.5 m (25 ft) in diameter at breast height. A famous ancient tree known as the Hundred Horse Chestnut in Sicily was historically recorded at 18 m (59 ft) in diameter (although it has split into multiple trunks above ground). 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. The oblong-lanceolate, boldly toothed leaves are 15–32 centimetres (6–13 inches) long and 5–10 cm (2–4 in) broad.
Castanea sativa is monoecious, with individual trees having both male and female flowers. The flowers of both sexes are borne in upright catkins 10–20 cm (4–8 in) in length, with the male flowers in the upper part and female flowers in the lower part. In the Northern Hemisphere, they appear in late June to July, and by autumn, the female flowers develop into spiny cupules containing 3–7 brownish nuts that are shed during October. The female flowers...
