Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima)

A deciduous tree from the Beech Family (Fagaceae)

Chinese Chestnut, a native of China and Korea, is planted today for the production of its chestnuts, which serve as a replacement for those from American Chestnut, which was devastated by Chestnut blight in the 1900's. Most nuts bought in stores today are those of Spanish Chestnut (Castanea sativa), but this species is marginally cold hardy in Ohio (zone 5 or 6) and is susceptible to the blight. Chinese Chestnut is cold-hardy throughout eastern North America, including all of Ohio, and resistant to blight. The low-branching, wide-spreading growth habit of Chinese Chestnut makes it ideal as an orchard tree, but far from ideal as a shade tree or ornamental tree that couples as a nut tree. In addition, its flowers are extremely noxious and ill-smelling when it is in bloom in early summer. Chinese Chestnut reaches 50 feet tall and 50 feet wide when found in the open. As a member of the Beech Family, it is related to the Oaks and the Beeches, in addition to other Chestnuts.

Planting Requirements - Chinese Chestnut prefers moist, acidic, well-drained soils in full sun, but adapts to dry soils of variable pH in full sun to partial sun. It can be planted in zones 4 to 8.

Potential Problems- Chinese Chestnut is not immune to Chestnut blight, it is simply resistant to the point that healthy mature trees will not become infected with the fungus, while those under stress may in fact obtain the disease as well. In addition, this tree suffers from the ravages of twig canker (another disease affecting the bark) and several insects, including root weevils and gall waps.

Leaf Identification Features

Leaves of Chinese Chestnut are alternate, elliptical to oblong, waxy, and with many prominent teeth that are narrow and point sharply forward. The base of the leaf (at the point of attachment to the petiole) tends to be wider (that is, more rounded at its point of attachment to the petiole) than the corresponding base of the leaf of American Chestnut.

Fall color is composed of shades of yellow, gold, and brown on the still glossy leaves.

Other Identification Features

The early summer flowers of Chinese Chestnut occur in large clusters at the ends of the fully expanded new growth. The showy portions are the creamy, filamentous male flowers, which shed pollen on the nearby female flowers of this monoecious species. Unfortunately, this tree emits a strong odor from its flowers when it is in bloom.

A few of the female flowers give rise to the unusual fruits, which are actually several nuts enclosed in a spiny husk. This husk splits open in autumn, releasing the tasty chestnuts which are flattened on at least one side.

One difference between American Chestnut and Chinese Chestnut is the degree of pubescence on the twigs and buds, with American Chestnut having the slightest degree of hairiness on its winter twigs and buds, while Chinese Chestnut is much more fuzzy.

The branchlets and young bark of Chinese Chestnut are shiny, dark brown, and with prominent lenticels. With increasing maturity, the gray-brown bark of this low-branched tree develops deep fissures and prominent ridges, which interlace to form a classic diamondback pattern.