Sweet Chestnut Tree 'Marron De Lyon'

Sweet Chestnuts are not quite the British tradition we all think of them as; they actually originate from the Mediterranean and were imported by the Romans who loved them.

Marron de Lyon is a reliable French variety that can start producing nuts from an early age (2 - 3 years); it produces large kernel making it ideal for the amateur and popular commercially.

Compact in habit, it will grow to around 30 feet (9 metres) tall with a spread of 18 feet (5.5 metres) in approximately 50 years if left to its own devices. If you plan to control the size of your tree, prune each Autumn / Winter to maintain a height of around 12ft or so; a root control bag will assist with reducing the vigour but is not entirely essential.

If you are lucky enough to have plenty of room consider growing a small coppice area which will not only provide nuts but also an invaluable source of timber for projects in the garden (naturally full of lignin the timber is hard and durable) or firewood; to manage sweet chestnut as a coppice simply cut down every eight years or so leaving a stump of around 12" - 18" (30 - 45 cm) or so.

Caution! If you're roasting the nuts (especially on an open fire) do make sure you prick them first otherwise they will explode and fly across the room with spectacular results!

• Self Fertile (a single tree will produce both male and female flowers).