Castanea sativa + ODRŮDY

Sweet chestnut originates in the Balkans and Southern Europe and has become very popular mainly in English parks where centenary specimens stand in their gracious beauty in the middle of neat lawns.

Sweet chestnut is cultivated for several beautiful features. The deciduous leaves are deep green, elliptic to oblong, up to 20 cm long, distinctly serrated and glossy, turning deep golden yellow in autumn. Flowers are creamy beige catkins that appear in July. They release a rather strong fragrance (especially in the evening) which may be disagreeable for someone. Fruit – chestnuts are hidden in prickly burrs that are bright green first, grading to yellowish-brown in the autumn.

Varieties:

Belle Epine - French variety, good taste, produces fruit from 5th or 6th year, great pollinator, less demanding as to soil and climate conditions.

Dorée de Lyon - French variety, excellent fruit, 8-10m only, prefers warmer regions.

Marigoule - a cross between European and Japanese chestnut, hardy to -29°C, good fruit, early variety, partially self-fertile, needs a hot summer to produce good fruit, ultimate size 12-15m.

Vincent van Gogh - dwarf variety, rather ornamental, 1.8m in 10 years, slightly undulate leaves and lightly twisted branches, produces fruit, too.

This tree grows very slowly forming a wide and low, mushroom-head, dense crown. Though it can be sizeable when fully mature it can easily be pruned to maintain a garden-acceptable size. It is tolerant of all soil types if well drained, once established it can withstand severe drought, but will not grow in shade. Fully hardy t o -29°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 04-01-2009.