Castanea dentataIndiana NativeIndiana Native
American Chestnut

Castanea dentata - Leaf
 Family:
 Genus:
 Plant Type:
 Growth Forms:
 Hardiness:
 Deciduous / Evergreen:
 Flower Notes:
White (Yellow-white.)
 Foliage Notes:
Green (Dull green.); Yellow (Shades of yellow in fall.)
 Stem Notes:
Reddish brown twigs with white lenticels. Smooth brown buds.
 Fruit Notes:
Prickly burr about 2 in. wide. Opens around first frost and contains sweet nuts that drop around September-October
 Ultimate Height:
50-75 feet
 Ultimate Spread:
50-75 feet
 Bloom Times:
 Light Requirements:
 Soil Water Requirements:
 Soil Notes:
Prefers moist, well-drained loamy soils.
 Range:
Eastern United States
 Maintenance:
 Diagnostic Characteristics:
Leaves are oblong-lanceolatem, toothed, turning shades of yellow in fall. Male flowers are aromatic, densely clustered in slender catkins (4-8" long). Female flowers appear in smaller, inconspicuous catkins. Flowers bloom in June. Fruits are small nuts, sweet and edible, encased in spiny burrs (2-3" diameter).
 Ecological Functions:
  Special Characteristics:
  • Food/Edible 88
  • Indiana Native 162

    • Additional Information

    Highly susceptible to chesnut blight, causing this tree to be nearly extinct in the wild.

    Other plants like this Castanea dentata (American Chestnut)

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