Within weeks of arriving in my town of Shumen, Bulgaria, the trees started changing color. Bright greens slowly gained hints of yellow and eventually turned fiery orange. My apartment is only a five minute walk from the city park, where a stroll through the autumn colors always makes me smile. One day, while I was walking with a colleage from the high school I teach at, she told me that many of these trees are chestnut trees. She pointed out all of the big, brown seeds that were scattered across the path. In autumn, when the leaves start changing color, these chestnuts fall from the tree and are enjoyed by both people and animals. I often see squirrels feasting on the tasty treat as well as Bulgarians collecting them in bags to be used for food and medicine.
Chestnut trees are large, deciduous trees, which means that they lose their leaves in fall to conserve energy in the winter. The leaves are long and narrow with rough edges. In the spring and summer, the leaves are green, but once fall comes around the leaves turn yellow and orange. On the outside the chestnut looks like a green, spiky ball, but on the inside there is a smooth, brown nut.
