Chestnut

Bow in the Presence of Greatness Chestnut

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…Jack Frost nipping at your nose…Yuletide carols being sung by a choir…and folks dressed up like Eskimos…”

Ah, the Christmas song. Bringing back warm fuzzies and memories of marshmallows and hot chocolate. Unless of course you were stuck in the kitchen over a hot stove. In which case the only “warm fuzzy” you got was from the sweat ruining your hair.

If you’ve ever had the privilege of roasting chestnuts on an open fire, you’re one lucky person. Plus you got out of the kitchen. If you’ve ever had the privilege of seeing a chestnut tree up close in person, with its huge, ancient trunk spreading up to 100 feet tall and 9 feet wide, you’ll know these trees are awe-inspiring.

Humans have had a long history with chestnuts. They were roasted, ground into flour for baking, their leaves were made into medicine…the list goes on.

Then came the blight that wiped them out.

Today, chestnut trees are so rare that any discovery makes the news.

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some chestnut wood for flooring, consider yourself blessed for life. With its light to medium brown color that darkens to a reddish brown, straight grain and coarse, uneven texture, chestnut is an extremely durable wood.