American Chestnut

LEAVES: Alternate, simple, sharp-pointed at the tip and toothed on the margins; smooth on both upper and lower sides, 6″-11″ long.

TWIGS: Stout smooth greenish to brown, with numerous small, white, raised lenticels.

FRUIT: A prickly bur 2″-3″ across, containing 2-3 nuts. Nuts, flattened on one side, are shiny brown, sweet and edible.

BARK: Dark brown and thick with shallow irregular furrows separating broad flat ridges.

GENERAL: Formerly the most common and arguably the most valuable tree in Pennsylvania for both its wood and nuts. It now persists as stump sprouts and small trees due to the bark disease commonly called chestnut blight. Chinese chestnut, (Castanea mollissima Blume) is planted for its 1″ nuts. Its leaves are shorter, up to 6″ long and pubescent beneath. Chinese chestnut is resistant to chestnut blight and breeding programs designed to bring this resistence into American chestnut are underway.