411 Chestnut Trees

• There are 9 different species of chestnut native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
• The four main species are commonly known as European, Chinese, Japanese, and American chestnuts, some species called chinkapin or chinquapin.
• It has a lifespan of 200 to 800 years, depending on the species.
• The Hundred-Horse Chestnut is the largest and oldest known chestnut tree in the world. Located on Linguaglossa road in Sant’Alfio, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna in Sicily it is generally believed to be 2,000 to 4,000 years old.
• The nuts are an important food for jays, pigeons, wild boar, deer, and squirrels.
• Chestnut can be consumed raw, baked, boiled or roasted. It also can be dried and milled into flour, which can then be used to prepare breads, cakes, pies, pancakes, pastas, polenta or used as thickener for stews, soups, and sauces.