$19.75 ($17.90-$59.00 choose a size)
Also known as Saba Nut, this medium sized, fast growing tree is grown in many parts of the world. It is grown mainly for its edible seeds; however it also makes a suitable potted indoor plant or outdoor specimen. The large white flowers are very fragrant, another reason to have it in the garden. Overall, this versatile tree is a handsome landscape addition The seeds can be eaten either raw or roasted. When roasted or fried in oil they taste like chestnuts or cashews, raw they taste like peanuts and keep for months in a cool, dry place. They can also be ground and used as a flour substitute when baking bread. The young leaves and flowers are cooked and delicious eaten as a vegetable. Production starts within a few years. The large, white, self-fertile flowers display spectacular clusters of 10cm cream-white stamens. The fruit is a woody green five-valved pod up to 30cm in length. The capsules that follow burst open when the seeds are ripe. The plant grows well in mild inland parts and coastal areas. The plant will tolerate brief exposure to low temperatures but won't tolerate frost. A frost-free location with some protection from hot, drying winds is the best choice for the plant. It will take full sun to partial shade. Malabar chestnuts are not overly fussy about soil as long as it is well drained. They are semi-deciduous.