| Guiana Chestnut | |
| Pachira insignis | |
| a.k.a. Malabar Chestnut |
see more photos of the Malabar Chestnut
Brown pod fruit up to one foot long, containing several large seeds that are eaten as nuts. Raw seeds are supposed to taste a bit like peanuts, cooked seeds like chestnuts.
Description: Medium to large sized tree up to 60ft. Leaves are
long (to 10"), dark green, and compound. Gorgeous flowers bloom in
season, have long red-white stamens. Flowers are followed by huge, up
to 12" football shaped, brown fruit containing large edible seeds.
Hardiness: Hardy to about 28F.
Growing Environment: The Guiana Chestnut is adapted to swampy regions
and subsequently does very well planted along shore of fresh water. It
does prefer occasional soil drying, so don't plant in permanent standing
water. Grow in full sun or part shade.
Propagation: By seeds.
Uses: Huge fruit filled with large nuts sometimes reaching the size of a tennis ball. Raw seeds are eaten and taste a bit like peanuts. Seeds are also roasted or fried and taste a bit like chestnus. The tree is occasionally grown as an ornamental both for its striking fruits and flowers.
Native Range: Native to Central America and northern South America.
There is confusion between the two related Pachira species, the Malabar Chestnut and the Guiana Chestnut. While the trees are distinctly different in appearance, the scientific names are often used interchangably. For whatever reason, in the Western U.S. and Hawaii, P. aquatica often refers to the smaller fruiting Malabar Chestnut, while in the Eastern U.S. it refers to the larger fruiting Guiana Chestnut.