Castanea mollissima
Common name:
Chinese Chestnut
Pronunciation:
kas-TAH-ne-a mol-LIS-i-ma
Family:
Fagaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Deciduous tree, 40-65 ft (12-20 m) tall with an equal spread, rounded habit when young, broad rounded at maturity, often low branching, may be shrubby. Leaves alternate, simple, elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, 8-15 cm long, rounded or truncate at the base, apex gradually tapering to a point (acuminate), margin coarsely serrated (teeth triangular or tapered to a stiff tip), lustrous dark green above, whitish tomentose or green and soft pubescence below, at least on the veins; petiole 0.5-1 long, often hairy. Flowers creamy or pale yellow, unpleasant odor, male (staminate) flowers in erect cylindrical catkins, female (pistillate) flowers on the lower part of the upper male catkins, usually 3 flowers in a prickly involucre. Fruit enclosed in prickly burs that are 5-8 cm diameter containing 2-4 edible nuts, glossy brown.
- Full sun. Does well in hot dry climates, best in acid soil.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 4 Native to northern China and Korea.
- mollissima: from the Latin mollis, soft, with soft hairs, and -issima, essentially a superlative, so, very soft, a reference to the hairiness of the leaves and twigs.
Click image to enlarge
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leafy shoot, early summer
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flowering branches, early summer
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leaves and male flowers
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male and female flowers
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leafy shoots and fruit, summer
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leaves and fruit
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plant habit, fall fruiting
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fall fruiting, large tree
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fruit and leaves
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plant habit, late fall
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leaves, late fall
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trunk, bark
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twigs, buds, fall and winter
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fruit remnants, winter
