Chestnut, Chinese
Castanea mollissima

Seedling Height: 12 to 18 inches

Mature Size: 35 to 40 feet in height and 1 to 4 feet in diameter

Type: Deciduous

Growth Rate: Medium

Form: A small tree with low branching and a rounded crown

Soil Type: Clay, loamy, sand, well drained

Light: Full sun

Foliage: Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, oblong, 5 to 8 inches long, coarsely serrated, shiny green above and paler and fuzzy below

Blooms: Late spring, early summer

Flowers: Male flowers are short and white as slender catkins; female flowers are short aments

Fruit: Sharp and spiny bur that contains 2 to 3 edible nuts; Ripen in late summer.

Values and Uses: A great wildlife tree that can be planted in any setting (not recommended in urban settings). A nice tree to line entry roads or walks for a low-canopy shade tree. Moderately resistant to the Chestnut Blight.

Did You Know? Chinese chestnut is being hybridized with the American chestnut to make a blight resistant American chestnut.