Chestnut

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 15 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of knobbly, straight stems covered in paper-thin, wrinkled, brown bark, and the wood inside is gray.

The branches are short stubs with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of small, fan-like, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are hazel with muted orange tips, resilient and smooth.

In early summer it produces hundreds of tiny, green blossoms with 8 spiral shaped petals. They fall easily and have a powerful scent that smells like old shoes.

In midwinter slender, 2 pointed fruits ripen. The hairy muted orange skin is tough and sweet, and the very soft muted orange flesh is sour and very juicy. The dark green seeds are large and are located in the centre of the fruit.