It started about two weeks ago. That irresistible (kidding) sweaty socks scent on the breeze. Yes… the chestnut flowers were out. The flowers really change the look of the tree – from a distance, it looks as if it has been dressed with lemon icing. The lemon male flowers are usually at the top of the clusters, the female being smaller, greener and, somewhat predictably, underneath.
Sweet chestnut flowers – male and female are carried on the same tree though two (or more) trees are required for successful pollination
We had a lot of hot sun last week and the flowers have quickly been pollinated and begun to turn brown. Some of the spent catkins are beginning to fall and the scent is dissipating daily. Now the hard work starts: the tree has to convert the flowers into ripe fruit over the next few months.
The bees – and other pollinating insects – have had a wonderful time. Standing underneath it one afternoon last week, there was no man-made sound at all, just the deafening buzz of the insects amongst the flowers… and the crickets on the hillside.
A few years ago, the honey from our hives was very distinctly chestnut flavoured… the bees had a long and sustained period on the trees and the species is available in abundance in this area.
It will be interesting to see what sort of crop we get this year – sweet chestnuts apparently produce their best crops after a hard winter and last winter was notoriously mild. On the other hand, it’s been a good and settled year for the flowers to get well-pollinated so on that basis at least, we should be on course for a bumper crop. We’ll see.
Chestnut tree in the early July landscape
La Fosse - the house on the hill 