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Castanea species - .

Chestnut Hybrids

Author	.	Botanical references
Family	Fagaceae	Genus	Castanea
Synonyms
Known Hazards	None known
Range	A range of garden hybrids.
Habitat	Not known in a wild situation.
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Tree growing to 15m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Canopy;

Cultivars: (as above except)
'Greenmantle'

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Seed.

Seed - raw or cooked[183]. Eaten raw, there is a distinct astringency, especially if the fleshy inner skin beneath the outer shell of the seed is not removed[K]. When cooked, however, and especially when baked, the seed becomes much sweeter and has a floury texture[K]. It then makes an excellent food and can be used as a staple food in much the same way as potatoes or cereals[K]. The seed is low in fats and oils but high in carbohydrates[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Tannin; Wood.

The bark, leaves, wood and seed husks all contain tannin. Wood - hard, strong, light.

Cultivation details

This record includes a number of garden hybrids involving various species - the origin of each hybrid will be mentioned in the individual cultivar notes. To date, these different hybrids have not been assigned their own specific name. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a good well-drained slightly acid loam but succeeds in dry soils[1, 11, 200]. Once established, it is very drought tolerant[1, 11, 200]. Very tolerant of highly acid, infertile dry sands[200]. Averse to calcareous soils but succeeds on harder limestones[11, 200]. An excellent soil-enriching understorey in pine forests[200]. Flowers are produced on wood of the current year's growth[229]. Plants are fairly self-sterile[200]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[200]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - where possible sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in a seed bed outdoors[78]. 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[K]. These plants are of hybrid origin, so seed is unlikely to breed true[K].

Cultivars

'Greenmantle'

Produces heavy crops of the largest size nuts[183]. The quality is excellent[183]. This cultivar is a cross between C. crenata x C. sativa[183]. We cannot be sure how well this cultivar will do in Britain - of its parents, C. crenata grows better in Britain than most other species, whilst C. sativa is the species that is commonly grown here for its seed[K].

'Meader New Hampshire #4'

Blight resistant Korean seedlings that survive in New Hampshire[183]. Trees grow to 9 metres tall and produce ½ bushell of clean good quality nuts each[183]. This cultivar is a cross between C. crenata x C. mollissima[183]. We cannot be sure how well this cultivar will do in Britain - of its parents, C. crenata grows better in Britain than most other species, whilst C. mollissima does not generally fruit well in this country[K].

'Simpson'

The seed is larger than Chinese chestnuts[183]. A broad spreading tree, hardier and much more vigorous as a seedling than the Chinese chestnut[183]. This cultivar is a cross between C. mollissima x C. sativa[183]. We cannot be sure how well this cultivar will do in Britain - of its parents, C. mollissima does not generally fruit well in this country whilst C. sativa is the species that is commonly grown here for its seed[K].

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[229] Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980 ISBN 0442238622
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Castanea species

robert barnes Tue Aug 15 2006

A good page, more info can be found at the web-site below.

ozark chinquapin foundation web-site dedicated to the ozark chinquapin

Castanea species

Rich (webweaver) Tue Aug 15 2006

ozark chinquapin foundation correct link for foundation

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