Content
- What types of chestnuts are there?
- The horse chestnut
- The sweet or sweet chestnut
- The chestnut
- The Australian chestnut
- The essentials in brief:
- Tips
The sweet chestnut does not belong to the same kind as the horse chestnut
What types of chestnuts are there?
There are many different varieties of chestnuts, but basically two completely different species - the horse chestnut and the sweet chestnut. These two are not related, even though they look alike. They even belong to different plant families.
Basically, all chestnuts are suitable for planting in their own garden. However, they need a lot of space and a sunny location. In the care and the soil claims, the species differ only slightly. An exception, however, is the Australian chestnut, which has only the name in common with the other chestnuts.
The horse chestnut
The horse chestnut (bot. Aesculus) is a kind with approximately twelve different kinds and belongs to the family of the soap tree plants (bot. Sapindaceae). Their fruits are inedible to slightly toxic. Ingestion causes gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. They are ideal for autumnal handicrafts and even animal feed. Horse chestnuts are also popular as avenue and park trees.
The sweet or sweet chestnut
The sweet chestnut (bot. Castanea sativa) belongs to the genus of the chestnut trees (bot. Castanea) and thus into the family of the beech plants (bot. Fagaceae). As the name suggests, the fruits are edible. In a harsh area chestnuts are much rarer to find than in mild climates. In the Middle Ages, many people were dependent on this today as a delicacy food in order not to starve.
The chestnut
The chestnuts on the one hand are the fruits of sweet chestnuts, but above all the cultivars of the sweet chestnut. For example, the breeds are geared towards resistance to pests and diseases, longer flowering or harvesting periods but also shelf life of the fruits. The fruits are usually larger and the harvest yield higher. Therefore, they are particularly well suited for commercial cultivation.
The Australian chestnut
It belongs to the legumes (bot. Fabaceae) and is often kept as a houseplant. It comes originally from Australia, is evergreen and is also traded in this country under the name bean tree, which is quite pas. The plant grows from a kidney-like bean, which only passes after a long time. Although practically never blooming in the room, the Australian chestnut is very decorative.
The essentials in brief:
Tips
If you want to plant a chestnut, then decide beforehand if and how you want to use the plant or the fruits.