Common chestnut, Castanea sativa : botanical card

Botanical card dedicated to the common chestnut tree, Castanea sativa

The chestnut zone

Native to the Mediterranean basin, the chestnut tree is present in many French regions. However, it remains rare in the north and north-east, although relatively abundant in the northern Vosges.

It was introduced by the Romans in the first century of our era. Until recently, it was mainly cultivated for food purposes, for chestnut flour, and for the wood which was used for multiple purposes.

Portrait of the chestnut tree

The chestnut is a tree that can live more than 500 years. Its growth is vigorous, and it can reach heights between 25 and 30 meters.

Its deciduous foliage forms a fairly dense canopy.

The male and female flowers are distinct, but are borne by the same individual.

Although it is a sun tree, the chestnut tolerates a light shade during its first years.

Chestnut's enemies

The chestnut tree is susceptible to two microscopic fungi:

• ink disease, which can decimate it when grown on inappropriate land;
• the canker; a very contagious parasite, currently in full expansion.

The chestnut tree can also be affected by rust, a detachment of the growth rings which strongly depreciates its wood. This defect, which increases with age, is linked to the growing conditions.

Finally, the chestnut tree is also sensitive to browsing, rubbing and debarking caused by deer.

The qualities of chestnut wood

Chestnut wood is rich in tannins. It is therefore very well preserved, which makes it suitable for specific uses: posts, frameworks, external frames...

Its ability to split is used for the manufacture of cladding.

Its timber is much sought after for furniture (parquet, stairs, furniture), while its very flexible strands are used in basketry and for strapping barrels.

The chestnut tree can also be used as firewood, in closed fireplaces (the wood bursts under the action of heat).

Planting advice

Plant the chestnut tree between November and March.

It can be planted in the sun or under a light shade, and in a non chalky, rather fresh and draining soil.

Growing a wisteria tree

Fabulous, fragrant, graphic, wisteria is generally planted along a façade or used as a climber to decorate arbors and pergolas to which it brings an undeniable charm. As a tree, in the center of a lawn or in the background of a bed, it takes on a whole new dimension. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

The choice of wisteria

If you are adventurous, you can start a wisteria tree from a simple seedling, which will allow you to intervene throughout the plant's growth. However, don't expect to get flowers before ten years or so!

It is therefore preferable to choose a grafted plant, from a garden center or nursery, which will ensure a quicker flowering.

Choose a healthy plant, without any trace of injury or disease, and ask the seller for advice on the variety best suited to your region.

Planting location

Choose a location well sheltered from the wind so that your wisteria does not break. This plant appreciates full sun and a non-calcareous soil. You can add compost, heather soil and humus before planting.

• Dig a 40 cm hole in all directions and plant it with an iron or rot-proof wooden stake of 2.5 m which you will drive at least 60 cm into the ground with a sledgehammer.
• Plant your wisteria at the foot of the stake and fill in the hole.
• Pack the neck of the plant well.
• Water abundantly.
• Hang the wisteria on its stake by making loose cross ties.

The essential pruning gestures to lead the wisteria into a tree

To obtain a beautiful wisteria tree, you just need to prune your plant regularly. Keep only the main stem and cut the small stems and the vegetation starts flush with the main stem. The plant should not branch out. As the plant grows, check that the ties that connect it to the stake are not too tight.

Wait until your main stem reaches a height of about 1.8 m to start keeping three or four stems in its upper part. These will be the carpenter branches. Prune them to 3 eyes, then the secondary shoots they will form, also to 3 eyes.

You will continue to remove all new shoots on the trunk throughout the growth. Do the same on the frames to give a nice shape to your tree.

In a few years you will have a subject that will capture all the eyes!

Tips for planting a tree

The introduction of a new tree in a garden is always an event. It will grow over time, seeing generations succeed one another, unchanging and proud. To succeed in planting a tree, a few basic precautions should be taken to increase the chances of your new protégé's recovery.

The soil: an important criterion

Before choosing a tree, it is imperative to know the various aspects of the soil. First of all, the pH level will determine whether the soil is acidic, calcareous or neutral. You will choose the species according to this criterion rather than modifying the soil, because the results may not be as good as you expect. The nature of the soil also comes into play; a heavy, clayey and humid soil will have to be well drained because few trees enjoy growing in constantly wet soil.

Choosing the variety

Always choose a tree adapted to the climatic conditions of your garden. Avoid tropical species in the North or in the mountains which would have little chance of surviving the first winter. Take inspiration from your direct environment to introduce plants adapted to your region. This way, you will put all the chances on your side and limit the use of phytosanitary products.

Then, it's all a matter of taste: colorful foliage, majestic bearing, sumptuous flowers are all criteria to take into account when choosing your tree.

Anticipating the future

When you buy a tree in a nursery, it is sometimes difficult to imagine its future development. Find out beforehand so that you can plan a location that is large enough for it to develop perfectly. Keep large trees away from the house so that the roots do not cause damage and so that too much shade does not darken your home.

Also consider the regulations and distances to be respected with the neighborhood: trees that will reach a height of more than two meters when mature must be planted at least two meters from the property line.

Planting advice

The planting of a tree should preferably be done in autumn and this, until the month of February, except during periods of heavy frost, when the plant is in its vegetative rest period. This will give the roots time to establish themselves and take advantage of the natural rainfall to grow well the following spring. A spring plantation is also possible for containerized trees, but it will be necessary to water very often during the summer. Choose a tree that is still young, its chances of recovery will be much better.

The planting hole should be prepared about fifteen days before planting.

• To do this, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball in all directions.
• Plant a strong stake facing the prevailing wind.
• Drain the bottom with a bed of gravel or clay balls so that water does not stagnate.
• Prepare your tree by "dressing" its roots, i.e., by cutting off those that are dead or injured and by trimming the tips of the healthy roots to induce the development of new rootlets.
• Then brush them with a praline made of soil, water and cow dung.
• Place a bed of soil at the bottom of the hole and install the tree so that its collar is flush with the soil.
• Top it off with soil to which you have added ground horn.
• Pack the base well and dig a trough with well-decomposed compost at the bottom.
• Water abundantly and fix with specific ties (eight ties) to the stake.

Different mimosas

the mimosa caven

The Acacia caven or Chilean mimosa, is a mimosa of 4 to 5 meters high. It can lose all or part of its foliage in winter and reveal its small white spines, which are also very decorative.

During June/July, the mimosa caven blooms with numerous yellow-orange glomerules, which are very fragrant.

The mimosa caven comes from Chile. It is one of the most cold-resistant mimosas. It can grow up to 1000m of altitude, hence its ability to resist to the cold (up to -10 / -12°C).

If the temperatures go down lower (-15°C), with the installation of a good protection (a veil of wintering for example), it is quite possible to see it starting again at the level of the foot.

The mimosa caven, contrary to most mimosas, accepts calcareous soils; it does not need to be grafted to evolve on this type of ground.

When the mimosa caven is grown in a pot, its size doubles or even triples every year.

Count 3 to 4 years of cultivation to obtain a shrub of 2,50 meters high.

The Acacia covenyi

The Acacia covenyi, native to Australia (New South Wales), is splendid with its silver-gray foliage, almost metallic when the drought sets in. In February/March, the bright yellow flowers bloom, grouped in very small glomerules. The contrast created by the yellow flowers on the silver foliage is very interesting.

Its foliage being evergreen, this mimosa remains aesthetic all year long.

Because it is grafted, Acacia covenyi does not suckle, as wild mimosas do, and is therefore not invasive. Its size remains reasonable (3 to 4 meters high maximum) and its ability to withstand pruning allows it to form a dense ball of reduced size.

Resistant to temperatures close to - 10°C, it is also one of the most cold-resistant mimosas.

Its growth, in full sun, is fast and its culture can be done in pot.

Minimum sunlight required: 4 hours per day.

Acacia dealbata pendula

Acacia dealbata pendula, the weeping winter mimosa, is an evergreen mimosa which reminds, by its foliage, the traditional winter mimosa known to all amateur gardeners, with the difference that the latter has a weeping habit.

Acacia dealbata pendula is a perfect mimosa for small gardens. Of modest size (2 meters high maximum, for 1,50 meter wide), its weeping form gives it a good resistance to the wind (contrary to the erect forms which offer a good grip to the wind). Of average growth, it adapts perfectly to the culture in pot.

In February/March, it produces a cascade of flowers.

The only maintenance that this mimosa will require is to prune the tips of its branches from time to time, to avoid them dragging on the ground.

Generally grafted on a stem to obtain a "weeping willow" shape, it is possible to obtain a ground covering shape. For this, the grafting is done at the foot of the tree, in order to obtain a creeping shrub, which can cover up to 5 m2 of surface.

The weeping winter mimosa is native to Australia (New South Wales); its hardiness is between - 8 and - 10 °C. It is therefore also one of the most cold-resistant mimosa. The sign that characterizes them: a compound bi-pinnate leaf, like that of the traditional winter mimosas.

Common ash, Fraxinus excelsior : botanical card

Botanical card devoted to the common ash, Fraxinus excelsior

The common ash zone

The common ash grows everywhere in France, except in the southeast. It can be found from the north of Picardy to Champagne, through the Ardennes or Franche-Comté.

Long venerated in the ancient European religions, the ash was the symbol of life.

Portrait of the common ash

The common ash can live up to 150 to 200 years. It is a large tree that can reach 30 meters in height.

It has a deciduous and sparse foliage. It is a pioneer species, which seeks light. It colonizes all available spaces, including those that are not suitable for it (where it will eventually disappear).

The male and female flowers of the ash, distinct but sometimes hermaphrodite, are carried by the same individual. The flowering takes place in April, before the foliage and the pollination is done thanks to the wind.

The enemies of the common ash

• The hornet: it is a major enemy of the ash tree. It mutilates the wood to suck the sap and take the fibers necessary to build its nest.
• Black heart of the ash: it is an alteration of the wood which affects the old subjects, in particular those implanted on wet or clayey grounds.

The qualities of common ash wood

Ash wood is pearly white in color, hard and medium-heavy. In general, it is a quality wood, with good mechanical resistance, especially in bending. For this reason, it was used for the manufacture of utilitarian objects requiring a certain resistance, such as tool handles. It was also used to make horse-drawn carriages, ship frames and tennis rackets. Today, its use is more oriented towards furniture, especially curved furniture pieces. The most beautiful logs are sliced to provide decorative veneers.

A little story: in the past, ash wood was said to have the power to scare away snakes.

Planting advice

The common ash needs a well-distributed rainfall during the year, possibly compensated by a good water reserve in the soil. It also appreciates atmospheric humidity. On the other hand, it fears spring frosts, which can cause forks to appear.

For an optimal development, offer it a rich, neutral or slightly acid soil.

Stories of oaks

A remarkable tree in many regions, the oak has accompanied man in his daily life since prehistoric times. Let's go and discover this thousand-year-old sovereign.

An essential tree

The oak provides man with protection through its solid frameworks, fire through its wood and charcoal, food through its boiled acorns, and medicine through its tannic bark. It has adapted to all European climates, and comes in many species. Pedunculate and sessile oaks are among the most common, holm and cork oaks appreciate milder climates, the pubescent oak is satisfied with arid limestone soils, the tauzin oak prefers light siliceous soils... Trees are omnipresent in our daily lives. The pedunculate and the sessile oak mark the majority of our landscapes with their powerful silhouettes, and if their wood is always famous, their nourishing role, their medicinal properties, some forgotten utilities, deserve to be rediscovered.

Oak recipes

If acorns have long been used to feed pigs, their contribution to human nutrition was far from negligible. All the more so in times of famine. They have the advantage of being rich in starch, but their harshness translates into a high content of tannins, toxic, causing digestive, renal and nervous disorders. The detoxification takes place by roasting, which allows the elimination of part of the tannins. The boiling with several waters is a sure process, provided that all the stages are respected with precision. The acorns thus carefully removed from their tannins could be dried and then ground into flour, mixed with wheat or other cereals and used to make pancakes. From prehistoric times to the last world war, acorns provided an important resource. Roasted, they were also used as a substitute for coffee.

Some oaks in southern Europe produce sweet acorns, the horehound oak, Quercus ilex sbp.ballota, but also the tauzin oak or the cork oak. Their uses were close to the chestnut.

Aged in oak barrels, the wine and various alcohols take on an incomparable color and bouquet. The wood of the barrels comes from different forests, each one conferring specific qualities.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of oak are not well known, but they deserve attention. All oaks have a high concentration of tannins and are therefore classified as astringent tonics. The bark of the branches of 3, 4 years old, used fresh or dried, was reputed for its haemostatic, febrifuge, antiseptic, anti-diarrheal actions... In external use its use covers a great number of evils, the internal use is more delicate, the possibilities of intoxications being quite real. The leaves, harvested in summer, dried, show properties similar to the bark. The acorns also have similar properties. The galls, numerous and varied on the oaks, concentrate the tannins and are used like the bark, with caution.

The oak, a true ecosystem, lives with a whole host of insects, spiders, birds, but also many plants, some of which also have medicinal properties. Combined with their host tree, polypode, mistletoe, lichen, were all the more sought after.

Uses of the oak

The pedunculate oak and the sessile oak have more or less the same properties, the distinction of their woods is difficult. Of excellent quality, these woods have many uses. Frames, railroad sleepers, posts, are known to be strong and indestructible. Naval constructions, bridges, locks, took advantage of its unlimited durability in wet environments. Hubs, wheels, rims of old tanks still resist to bad weather, exposed now in parks and gardens. Carpentry, cabinet making, find many uses for it.

Cut, split easily, the wood will become heat in the fireplaces, or charcoal for the metallurgy. The pollarded trees, regularly pruned for the faggots, are noticed for their particular port. The tannin of the bark has long treated the skins, sold in the form of powder called "tan". The dried galls, combined with water and iron, were used to make a black salt, the basis for writing ink.

Some stories...

The oak tree is surrounded by many myths and legends. The gods of war, lightning and storms lived in it. But it was also a solar tree, of fertility, strength, longevity and endurance.

The dryads reside under its bark, and where they live can spring a living source ...

A sacred tree, the oak was perhaps one of the first temples under which men gathered.

Linked since prehistoric times, man and the oak have seen their relationship evolve over the centuries. Solid and branched, it now hosts the most beautiful huts, and the dreams of children.