CGI’s edible chestnuts are nutritious, delicious to eat and grown on local farms in Michigan. These chestnuts are not to be confused with the non-edible horse chestnuts. Edible chestnuts, shown on the left, have tassels and open spiny burs, while horse chestnuts, shown on the right, have no tassel or point on the nut and they have fewer fat spines. Scroll through the photos below to see a complete side by side comparison.
Edible chestnut bur packed with ‘pin cushion’ sharp spines
The middle opening ‘hole’ in the bur has the ‘tails’
of the edible chestnuts peeking out as it begins to open
Side view of an edible chestnut bur opening,
showing filled nut(s).Most filled burs will have
this opening. If not, the bur might be empty.
Edible chestnut bur has opened more, dividing itself into
4 sections. Tails or points will always show themselves
at the original opening circle.
Edible chestnut bur completely opened. The white velvet lining
will soon turn darker as it’s exposed to air.
Open edible chestnut bur, exposed to air, shows indentations
where the formed nuts grew from the attached hilum area.
Three edible chestnuts with tails.
All edible chestnuts have a ‘tail’ or point.
Edible Chestnut leaves on stem
Each leaf on the edible chestnut branch is attached
at separate points.
Edible chestnut tree
Tails on edible chestnut nuts.
Close up of three edible chestnuts in bur opening.
Three full edible chestnuts in open bur.
Non-edible horse chestnut bur with smooth covering
and fewer sharp protruding fat spines
Opening line forming in this horse chestnut outer bur
Non-edible horse chestnut bur beginning to open
See the division in the horse chestnut bur where
two nuts grew. There is NO tail or point
on a horse chestnut.
Non-edible horse chestnut bur just opened showing
white smooth lining, soon to turn darker also,
with two nuts tucked inside.
Open, exposed to air, horse chestnut bur showing divisions
where 2 non-edible nuts formed
Many non-edible horse chestnuts. On the left, you see the hilum
area of each nut. On the right, you see an indentation that
might be a ‘tail’ under the shell, but it is never on the
outside of the shell.
Non-edible Horse Chestnut leaves on stem
All 5 or 6 leaves on a horse chestnut stem are attached
at one point.
Non-edible Horse Chestnut tree
Two non-edible horse chestnuts in burs.
Older open dark brown bur of non-edible
horse chestnut with one nut inside.
Freshly opened non-edible horse chestnut bur and nuts.
