Sweet Chestnut

The ‘Spanish or Sweet-chestnut’ is indigenous to the Mediterranean region. It is sparsely cultivated in some hill stations in Pakistan (e.g. Abbottabad and Ghora Gali). The leaves and the bark yield a blackish-brown dye and also an oil which is medicinal. Tannin is also obtained from the bark. The wood is good for carpentry. The nuts can be eaten raw or when roasted.

Tree up to 15 m tall. Young shoots tomentose. Leaves elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, 14-22.5 x 5-9 cm, nerves 11-14 pairs, rarely more, prominent on the under surface, ending in serrations at the margin, coriaceous, glabrous, acuminate, pale green and puberulous on the under surfaces; leaf-base often oblique. Male spikes 14-19 cm long, lax, pubescent. Female flowers solitary or in clusters of 3. Nut enclosed in a dense spiny involucre.

Distribution: Europe, Turkey, N. Africa, Himalayas, China and Japan.

Fl.Per.: April-May; Fr. Per.: August.