Practical
Plants

Castanea dentata

American Sweet Chestnut

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Castanea genus in the family Fagaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Fagaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Height
30 m
Spread
15 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - raw or cooked[9][19][20][2][4]. Rather on the small side, but these are the sweetest seeds of any species in this genus[7]. The seed contains about 7% fat, 11% protein[5]. It can be dried, ground into powder and then be added to cereals when making bread, cakes etc[11]. A delicious oil can be extracted from the seed by crushing the nuts, boiling them in water and then skimming off the oil as it comes to the surface[11]. It can be used as a topping for various puddings[11]. The roasted nut can be used as a coffee substitute and a chocolate substitute can also be made from it[7] (no further details).

Product or use
Chocolate
Product or use
Coffee
Product or use
Oil
Plant part
Seed

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A warm water infusion of the leaves has been used to calm the respiratory nerves and promote expectoration[11][15]. The infusion has also been used in the treatment of whooping cough but modern opinion is that the leaves are no more than a mild astringent[11].

Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Expectorant

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The bark is a good source of tannin[17][18][6][12]. The dried leaves contain 9% tannin[11]. The wood and the seed husks also contain tannin[12]. The husks contain 10 - 13% tannin[12]. A brown dye is obtained from the bark[15]. Wood - soft, not strong, light, very durable, liable to warp. It weighs 28lb per cubic foot. Easy to split, it is used for making cheap furniture, fence posts, in construction etc[18][22][4][6][13][14].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Tannin
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Eastern N. America - Maine and Ontario to Michigan, Georgia and Arkansas.
Habitat
Dry, gravelly or rocky, mostly acid soils[16]. This species is virtually extinct in America due to chestnut blight[3].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 4+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
drought
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
tolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - where possible sow the seed as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame or in a seed bed outdoors[21]. 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].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Prefers a good well-drained slightly acid loam but succeeds in dry soils and in hot sunny sites[1][3][8][10]. Once established, it is very drought tolerant[3][10]. Very tolerant of highly acid, infertile dry sands[10]. Averse to calcareous soils but succeeds on harder limestones[3][10]. Although it is very winter-hardy, this species only really thrives in areas with hot summers[10]. A tree at Kew in 1985 was 15 metres tall and thriving[3]. At one time widely cultivated in N. America for its edible seed, it is now virtually extinct in the wild due to chestnut blight[3]. There are some named varieties[7]. Trees are possibly becoming resistant, some suckering stands in America are producing fruit[3]. Suckers often reach 4 - 6 metres tall before succumbing to blight, but they rarely manage to produce fruit[13]. An excellent soil-enriching understorey in pine forests[10]. Flowers are produced on wood of the current year's growth[13]. Plants are fairly self-sterile[10]. They hybridize freely with other members of this genus[10]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[10].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Kavasch. B. Native Harvests. Vintage Books 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-394-72811-4

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  4. Rosengarten. jnr. F. The Book of Edible Nuts. Walker & Co. 1984-00-00 ISBN 0802707699

    ↩1↩2

  5. McPherson. A. and S. Wild Food Plants of Indiana. Indiana University Press 1977-00-00 ISBN 0-253-28925-4

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  6. Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  7. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

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  9. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8↩9

  11. Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980-00-00 ISBN 0-449-90589-6

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6

  12. Rottsieper. E.H.W. Vegetable Tannins The Forestal Land, Timber and Railways Co. Ltd. 1946-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  14. Britton. N. L. Brown. A. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada Dover Publications. New York. 1970-00-00 ISBN 0-486-22642-5

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  15. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2

  16. Fernald. M. L. Gray's Manual of Botany. American Book Co. 1950-00-00

    ↩

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  18. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  19. Elias. T. and Dykeman. P. A Field Guide to N. American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold 1982-00-00 ISBN 0442222009

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  20. Howes. F. N. Nuts. Faber 1948-00-00

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  21. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

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  22. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

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