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.
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  • leafy shoot, early summer

    leafy shoot, early summer

  • flowering branches, early summer

    flowering branches, early summer

  • leaves and male flowers

    leaves and male flowers

  • male and female flowers

    male and female flowers

  • leafy shoots and fruit, summer

    leafy shoots and fruit, summer

  • leaves and fruit

    leaves and fruit

  • plant habit, fall fruiting

    plant habit, fall fruiting

  • fall fruiting, large tree

    fall fruiting, large tree

  • fruit and leaves

    fruit and leaves

  • plant habit, late fall

    plant habit, late fall

  • leaves, late fall

    leaves, late fall

  • trunk, bark

    trunk, bark

  • twigs, buds, fall and winter

    twigs, buds, fall and winter

  • fruit remnants, winter

    fruit remnants, winter