Malabar chestnut trees have many names and many uses. They are very adaptable plants that have traditionally been cultivated in several styles and sizes and are well suited to tropical climates like ours. Their edible nuts and beautiful flowers make
Malabar chestnut trees have many names and many uses. They are very adaptable plants that have traditionally been cultivated in several styles and sizes and are well suited to tropical climates like ours. Their edible nuts and beautiful flowers make them desirable plants to include in a small garden or allowed to grow larger as a nut-producing tree. As bonsai or braided plants, they are known as the “money tree” and sold to bring good fortune to their owners.
Although the name Malabar seems to imply these trees might be native to India, they actually originated in swampy areas around Guyana in South and Central America. Thus, one of their alternative names is Guyana chestnut. They are also known as the saba nut or provision tree and have numerous regional names derived from the areas where they grow. The Malabar name was likely assigned by the large population of East Indian people living in Guyana. In any case, the trees are native to a tropical climate similar to that found in Hawaii though their adaptability has allowed them to thrive in some subtropical locales as well.
The trees are popular in many areas with warm climates where they are valued as edible as well as ornamental plants. The chestnuts they produce are found in the recipes of numerous ethnic groups and the trees are enjoyed as large specimens or maintained for small backyard gardens. They are also valued as potted ornamentals.
The Malabar chestnut tree is not related botanically to either the chestnut or horse chestnut tree. Pachira aquatica is rather a member of the Bombacaceae family which includes some spectacular ornamental plants as well as the fiber producing kapok tree and the balsa tree, prized for its lightweight wood. The durian fruit tree is among the edibles also in the Bombax family.
Since classification of plants was originally done by Carl Linneas according to their sexual parts, the flowers, most members of this family including the Malabar chestnut have similarly showy flowers. The creamy white petals of Malabar chestnuts burst open and peel back to reveal long stamens that look like a shaving brush. The flowers have the added bonus of a very light fragrance.
Of the 250 genera and 30 species in this family, only about a dozen are actually grown in Hawaii. Most are found in botanical gardens, however, because they are large specimen trees. Malabar chestnuts can grow 50 to 75 feet tall, but growing conditions and judicious pruning can easily control their size.
The botanical genus name, Pachira, is derived from the name of a Guyanan language and the species name, aquatica, refers to the tree’s preference for a constant water supply.
Malabar chestnut trees have shiny green palmate leaves with long lanceolate leaflets and a smooth bark that is often green and ages to a shiny brown. Its showy flowers have long, narrow cream colored buds that open like a banana peel to expose their yellow-orange stamens. The edible nuts of the tree grow in a woody pod which ranges in size from around 5 to nearly 12 inches long. The nutritious nuts inside are about the size and shape of a cashew. They are light-brown, striped with white and have a flavor similar to peanuts when eaten raw. They can also be cooked or ground into flour. In addition to the nuts, the leaves and flowers are also edible.
Ideal conditions for Malabar chestnut trees are warm locations in full sun or partial shade with moist well-composted soil with good drainage. They are fast-growing and drought-resistant once established and very hardy. The trees require little in terms of maintenance other than maintaining a fertility balance through mulch and needed supplements as well as occasional pruning to control growth. They are adaptable to cultivation in containers for both indoor and outdoor placement. In outdoor settings, they are attractive to birds, butterflies and bees but seem impervious to insect or disease attacks if kept healthy. Indoors, they are rarely attacked by the usual houseplant pests. If you see insects attacking them, an immediate counterattack with insecticidal soap and neem oil should eliminate the problem.
Malabar chestnuts can be grown by planting the edible nut or by propagating from softwood cuttings or air layers. When the seedpods turn brown, the nuts are ripe. If not collected, the pods will split open, dropping the nuts to the ground. Those who value the nuts usually bag the pods to save them from dropping.
Though the nuts are often eaten raw, their taste is more like a chestnut when they are roasted or fried in oil. Before roasting, slit the seed coat for easy removal after cooking. Cooked or raw, they make a tasty and nutritious addition to stew or soups. Soaking and sprouting the nuts for stir fry makes the seed coat easier to remove. The young leaves and flowers are also edible.
In 1986, a Taiwanese truck driver cultivated five Malabar chestnut seedlings in a single pot and braided them together as they grew. Almost immediately, the popularity of these intertwined specimens took off in Asia. They became associated with good financial fortune and became known as the money tree. The sale of these trees is a multimillion dollar portion of Taiwan’s agricultural export economy today. To make your own, you’ll need five seedlings in a large pot. Instructions for several techniques are available online.
The popularity of the braided trees has spread to Hawaii. Two mature specimens are growing at Kainaliu Gardens, just north of the Aloha Theatre. Several nurseries in town have young trees in stock or can order them so that you can make your own braided trees, bonsai specimen or add them to your edible garden. Try Sunrise Nursery in the Kalokoa Industrial Area or Tropical Edibles Nursery in Captain Cook as a source for young Malabar chestnut trees.
However you choose to use these interesting plants, they will certainly give you many years of pleasure.
Diana Duff is a local organic farmer, plant adviser and consultant.
