How to Identify American Chestnut

Leaf Identification

The leaves of the American Chestnut are 5″ to 9″ long with an elliptic (tapers consistently at both stem and tip) shape and pinnate veins. They are coarsely toothed, each tooth with a bristle at its tip. The top surface is typically yellow-green while the underside is paler. The leaf underside has sparse hairs along the midvein, unlike some hairier related species. The entire leaf is glabrous (smooth).

  • Leaf of Arbor Walk #111
  • Underside of Leaf from Arbor Walk #111

Twig and Bud Identification

The American Chestnut twigs are orange-brown and have numerous small lenticels (pale pocked marks). The buds are also orange-brown and are usually 1/4″ long with multiple scales. The buds and twigs are glabrous.

  • Twig of Arbor Walk #111
  • Bud of Arbor Walk #111

Bark Identification

When young the bark is smooth with green to a chestnut-brown color. With age, it develops large interlacing ridges and furrows. If the tree is infected with blight, the bark will be sunken and split. Orange fungal bodies are often growing out of these splits.

  • Bark of Arbor Walk #111

Fruit Identification

The fruit of the American Chestnut have large, spiny husks covering 2 or 3 nuts. These husks are round and about 2″ to 2 1/2″ in diameter. The nuts are edible, but the husk is very sharp.

Flower Identification

The American Chestnut is monoecious. The male flowers are white and occur along 6″ to 8″ long catkins, and the female flowers are also white and found at or near the base of the catkins. The flowers have a musty odor, sometimes described as fishy.