897 BR Chestnut-Chinese

The Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) is a medium-sized, deciduous tree native to China and Korea, widely valued for its edible nuts and high resistance to the chestnut blight that devastated the American chestnut.

Key Characteristics

Size and Shape: Typically grows 40-60 feet tall with a broad, rounded, spreading canopy that provides dense shade.

Leaves: Simple, alternate, dark green, and glossy, with coarsely toothed margins. The undersides of the leaves and young twigs have a soft, fuzzy feel (hence the specific epithet mollissima, Latin for "soft").

Flowers: Aromatic, yellowish-white flowers appear in long, erect catkins in late spring or early summer. The tree is monoecious, meaning it has separate male and female flowers on the same tree.

Fruit: The nuts are enclosed in a very spiny green husk (burr) that splits open when the nuts ripen in mid-to-late autumn (September through October). Each burr usually contains 2 to 3 shiny, brown nuts.

Nuts: The nuts are large, meaty, crisp, and sweet when cooked. They are a good source of carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins, with low fat content (around 3%).

Blight Resistance: A key feature of the Chinese chestnut is its natural resistance to the fungal chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), which makes it a popular alternative to the American chestnut in North America.