Castanea sativa

Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) is generally classified as a non-indigenous but ‘honorary native’ species in Ireland. Native to southern Europe and Turkey, it has long been cultivated for its timber and its edible, starchy nuts. The species is predominantly found in lowland areas  and is well adapted to a wide range of site and soil conditions normally occupied by mixed broadleaved communities. Due to its relatively recent arrival in Ireland, few species are directly dependent on sweet chestnut as a host, but it does support a wide range of invertebrates, fungi and lichen that are associated with equivalent broadleaved trees.