Castanea sativa
Sweet chestnuts grow throughout our woodland: they produce edible nuts in extremely spiky cases.
Sweet Chestnut leaves and seed
Recognise by:
The bark, nut cases and leaves are easily identified.
It is common for the grooves and ridges in the bark of the sweet chestnut to follow a spiral pattern which twists around the trunk of the tree.
Sweet Chestnut Bark
The flowers open in late June – July when the male catkins (15-25cm long) release their pollen.
Uses
- Internal joinery of furniture, especially drawer linings
- Staircases
- Coffins
- Casks
- Fences
