Castanea sativa (Sweet chestnut)

The sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a large, long lived tree, with a number of examples exceeding 1,000 years of age. It is not a native to Britain, but was introduced by the Romans for its fruit, the chestnuts, which were used as a food source. The tree itself can grow as much as 30m (100ft), but is more often less. The trunk is usually short with large branches separating from the main stem at only a few metres above the ground. The leaves are coarsely serrated and can range between 15-30cm (6-12in). Flowers are produced on long catkins, 10-20cm (4-8in) long, between June and July and create a profusion of white and yellow across the tree , which look rather exquisite in my opinion.