Malabar Chestnut – Pachira insignis

Plant family: Malvaceae (formerly Bombacaceae)

Plant origin: Central and South America.

Fruit description: The Malabar Chestnut has large hard oval pods up to 30cm long, containing delicious and nutritious nuts.

Flowers: Malabar Chestnut flowers are very fragrant, large and spectacular - the long white petals peel open and reveal bright orange 10cm long stamens.

Growing conditions: The Malabar Chestnut likes any well drained soil. It is evergreen with shiny green leaves and smooth green bark. It prefers a moist tropical climate and full sun or part shade. It grows fast up to 6 metres high. It is hardy and can resist drought. The base of the trunk swells with age, making it an unusual landscape addition. This tree makes a very attractive garden specimen as well as producing plenty of tasty nuts. Protect the young tree from winds and frost. Water the tree in Summer and feed it with general fertiliser in Spring. This plant can also be grown indoors or outdoors as an ornamental pot plant.

Uses: The striped seeds inside the pods are delicious and, like peanuts, can be eaten raw, roasted or fried. Use them in cooking or as a snack. They keep well. They can be ground to meal for breadmaking. You can also eat the leaves and flowers of Malabar Chestnut as a vegetable.

Medicinal uses:

Pollination requirements: Self-Pollinating.

Harvest time The pods ripen between January and March, turning from green to brown and splitting open. Pick them before the seeds fall onto the ground.

Plant relatives

Special features:

Grown by method: Seed Grown Pot size: 140mm

Plant growing Height and Width for pots or in the ground planting: Grows to 2 metres high by 1.5 metres wide if Planted in a Pot. Grows 6 metres high by 3 metres wide if Planted in the Ground.

Shipping plant pot or planter bag size: 140mm