Sweet Chestnut - Castanea sativa

Description

Large spreading tree to 30 metres. Leaves oblong, pointed and toothed, scaly beneath. Flowers yellowish green in erect or spreading catkins. Fruits 1 to 3 brown shiny nuts in a very spiny splitting husk.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Woodland, particularly on acid soils.

When to see it

Flowers July.

Life History

Deciduous tree.

UK Status

Widespread and fairly common in Britain.

VC55 Status

Occasional in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 73 of the 617 tetrads.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Spanish Chestnut, Sweet Chestnut
Species group:
Trees, Shrubs & Climbers
Kingdom:
Plantae
Order:
Fagales
Family:
Fagaceae
Records on NatureSpot:
113
First record:
03/09/2007 (Dave Wood)
Last record:
13/09/2023 (Pugh, Dylan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

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