How to Grow Your Own Chestnut Plant in 5 Simple Steps

Written by

Asha Swann

Published

You may have grown up humming the lyrics to the classic holiday song, "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire." But instead of roasting them, why not turn one into an adorable chestnut plant for your home?

While turning a chestnut into a cute houseplant probably isn't something you envisioned yourself doing over the holidays, Brad Canning, the plant aficionado behind Leafy Lane, says the process is super easy. In fact, it's very similar to growing an avocado plant and mango seed plant.

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According to Canning, all you need to get started is an unroasted chestnut, reusable Stasher bag, and a damp paper towel. Whether you have a green thumb or not (psst—check out these hard-to-kill plants!), following these steps will give you a chestnut plant in no time.

How to Grow a Chestnut Plant

What you'll need:

unroasted chestnut
reusable bag
damp paper towel

Instructions:

1. Wrap the chestnut in a paper towel and put it in a reusable bag.
2. After sealing the bag, store it in a cool, dry place for a few weeks (like a pantry) and wait for the roots to sprout.
3. Once you notice roots, put the roots in a cup or vase of water. Be sure the chestnut stays dry and out of the water. Using a vase with a narrow opening will help.
4. Soon, you'll notice the plant sprout from the top of the chestnut. (Aka the start of a chestnut tree!)
5. Keep it in the vase and change the water every few days. Or pot it in a container with a drainage hole and water when the top layer of soil is dry, around once a week.