Let’s get to know our trees: Sweet Chestnut / खनोर

Special Feature by Swasti Sharma

Some days ago, while visiting my orchard, I was amazed to hear that one of the trees was of sweet chestnut. It was brought to Himachal by the British.

It was my grandfather who brought this seedling to our farms from the forest rest house Taklech in 1978. At that time, limited plants were grown because no one was aware about this tree. Even today, the knowledge is limited.

Because of seed dispersal, the plants multiplied and now, there are 3 trees which are mature and yield fruits. There are about 4-6 saplings too.

About Sweet Chestnuts

Sweet chestnuts are the edible fruits/nuts which generally come in the category of deciduous trees. They are also called by different names such as Spanish chestnut, Castanea sativa (scientific name) or Sweet chestnut. In the local language, they are called खनोर.

his fruit is indigenous to mountainous regions of Western Asia, Southern Europe, and North Africa. For its proper growth, it requires mild climate and adequate moisture. The tree of sweet chestnut can be grown in late autumn or early spring in fertile and deep soil. Spanish chestnuts can live long – up to 700 years. It has different uses such as:

It has many medicinal uses for human beings.
The fruits are rich in gallic and ellagic acid. (Ellagic acid is used for cancer too).
It provides Vitamins B, C, and many minerals like magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and potassium.
This tree is widely cultivated for its edible fruits/nuts and for its wood.
The nuts are valuable food stuff for many wild animals especially for mammals.

Parts of this tree are:

Leaves → The leaves are glossy, oblong, with pointed tip and serrated edges.
Flowers→Theflowersfoundinthistreearebisexualflowers(theflowershavingbothmalestamen and female carpel and pistil parts). These are long and yellow-colored.
Fruits→ The fruits are red- brown coloured, wrapped in a brown and spiky case.
Bark/Twigs/branches→ Its bark is smooth and grey-purple in color and the twigs andbranches are purple-brown in color.
Buds→ The buds are plum, red-brown and oval in shape.

The world’s oldest known chestnut tree grows on Mount Etna in Sicily and has a circumference of 190 feet. It is said to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old.