Chestnuts are rewarding trees to grow. With beautiful foliage, tall, strong structures, and often heavy and nutritious nut yields, they’re a great choice if you’re looking to grow trees. Planting American chestnut trees can be tricky though. Keep reading to learn American chestnut tree information and how to grow American chestnut trees.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. As is true of all species in the genus Castanea, the American chestnut produces burred fruit with edible nuts. The American chestnut was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range.
Castanea dentata is a rapidly-growing, large, deciduous hardwood eudicot tree. Pre-blight sources give a maximum height of 115 feet (35 m), and a maximum circumference of 13 feet (4.0 m). Post-blight sources erroneously report a greater maximum size of the species compared with pre-blight, likely due to nostalgia, to interpretations of pre-blight measurements of circumference as being measurements of diameter, and to the misapprehension that pre-blight observations of maximum size represented observations of average size. It is considerably larger than the closely related Allegheny chinquapin (Castanea pumila).
There are several other chestnut species, such as the European sweet chestnut (C. sativa), Chinese chestnut (C. mollissima), and Japanese chestnut (C. crenata). Castanea dentata can be distinguished by a few morphological traits, such as petiole length, nut size and number of nuts per burr, leaf shape, and leaf size, with leaves being 14–20 cm (5.5–8 in) long and 7–10 cm (3–4 in) broad—slightly shorter and broader than the sweet chestnut. It has larger and more widely spaced saw-teeth on the edges of its leaves, as indicated by the scientific name dentata, Latin for “toothed”.
The European sweet chestnut was introduced in the United States by Thomas Jefferson in 1773. The European sweet chestnut has hairy twig tips in contrast to the hairless twigs of the American chestnut. This species has been the chief source of commercial chestnuts in the United States. Japanese chestnut was inadvertently introduced into the United States by Thomas Hogg in 1876 and planted on the property of S. B. Parsons in Flushing, New York. The Japanese chestnut has narrow leaves, smaller than either American chestnut or sweet chestnut, with small, sharply-pointed teeth and many hairs on the underside of the leaf and is the most blight-resistant species.
The chestnut is monoecious, and usually protandrous, producing many small, pale green (nearly white) male flowers found tightly occurring along 6 to 8 inch long catkins. The female parts are found near the base of the catkins (near twig) and appear in late spring to early summer. Like all members of the family Fagaceae, American chestnut is self-incompatible and requires two trees for pollination, which can be with other members of the Castanea genus. The pollen of the American chestnut is considered a mild allergen.
The American chestnut is a prolific bearer of nuts, beginning inflorescence and nut production in the wild when a tree is 8 to 10 years old. American chestnut burrs often open while still attached to the tree, around the time of the first frost in autumn, with the nuts then falling to the ground. American chestnuts typically have three nuts enclosed in a spiny, green burr, each lined in a tan velvet. In contrast, the Allegheny chinquapin produces but one nut per burr.
The American chestnut was an important tree for wildlife, providing much of the fall mast for species such as white-tailed deer, wild turkey, Allegheny woodrat and (prior to its extinction) the passenger pigeon. Black bears were also known to eat the nuts to fatten up for the winter. The American chestnut also contains more nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in its leaves than other trees that share its habitat, so they return more nutrients to the soil which helps with the growth of other plants, animals, and microorganisms. The American chestnut is preferred by some avian seed hoarders, and was particularly important as a food source during years where the oak mast failed.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
American chestnut thrives in full sun conditions which allows for optimal growth and health, requiring at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. Despite its preference for full sun, american chestnut exhibits adaptability and can tolerate partial sun, although the reduced light may lead to slower growth and diminished flowering. It’s important that American chestnut is planted in a location that receives ample light to ensure strong development. Outdoor placement is advised to meet american chestnut’s light requirements, favoring sites with clear exposure to sunlight for the majority of the day.
Temperature
Plants of the Castanea genus are distributed in the mountains of Northern temperate and subtropical zones. They like warm, moist habitats and grow best in temperatures between 10 to 20 ℃ , though they can also tolerate a certain level of cold. They don’t require much moisture, are quite drought-enduring, and usually don’t need excessive watering.
Watering
Originating from regions with moderate moisture, american chestnut has adapted to a balance of water availability, tolerating brief periods of dryness. This species thrives with watering once every 1-2 weeks, maintaining soil moisture without oversaturation. As a deciduous plant commonly grown outdoors, American chestnut’s water needs fluctuate with the seasons; increased rainfall in spring and autumn naturally supports its growth cycles.
Soil
American chestnut tree likes moist, fertile, slightly acidic (pH value at 4.5-6.5), sandy soil. Clay, which has poor air permeability, is not recommended. American chestnut can endure drought, but standing water can cause breathing difficulty in its roots and affect healthy growth. Therefore, the soil needs to stay properly drained. Sloping land offers good drainage, so when planting on a slope, soil with a slightly poorer water-draining ability can still be used.
Fertilizing
For American chestnut, use balanced nutrition fertilizers in spring and high nitrogen ones as growth resumes. Fertilize biannually for robust growth and bountiful harvests. Apply per product instructions, adjusting for plant size and soil fertility. In active growth, a slightly increased frequency boosts vigor. Practice soil testing to tailor needs. Always water well after application to prevent root burn and enhance nutrient uptake. Remember, less is more to prevent overfertilization.
Pruning
American chestnut tree likes sufficient sunlight. Its flowers often bloom on external new branches. Pruning its internal branches make it look more beautiful, increase internal ventilation and light, promote flowering and fruition, and reduce the chances of pests or diseases. When the plant blossoms, only keep early blooms to concentrate nutrients and make fruits plump; trim the rest. Prune old, dried, or pest-or-disease-infested branches are found at once. Do not prune on rainy days, as rain can help transmit pests and diseases and infect the pruning incisions. After pruning, apply fungicides to the incisions.
Propagation
American chestnut is propagated in autumn and winter via hardwood cuttings, layering, and seed sowing. Propagation difficulty varies, with hardwood cuttings being the easiest method. Successful propagation can be identified by the growth of new roots and shoots. Key tips include selecting healthy parent plants and ensuring proper soil moisture during propagation.
Transplanting
Spring, or S1, is an optimal period for transplanting american chestnut, as it allows them plenty of time to establish roots before winter. They thrive in well-drained, acidic soil, preferably in direct sunlight. However, handled with care, they have fragile roots. Remember, a happy American chestnut means a beautiful landscape!
III. Uses and Benefits
- Culinary uses
The nuts were once an important economic resource in North America, being sold on the streets of towns and cities, as they sometimes still are during the Christmas season (usually said to be “roasting on an open fire” because their smell is readily identifiable many blocks away). Chestnuts are edible raw or roasted, though typically preferred roasted. One must peel the brown skin to access the yellowish-white edible portion.
The nuts were commonly fed on by various types of wildlife and was also in such a high abundance that they were used to feed livestock by farmers, by allowing those livestock to roam freely into the forests that were predominantly filled with American chestnut trees.
The American chestnut tree was important to many Native American tribes in North America as it served as a food source, both for them and the wildlife they hunted, and also as a component in traditional medicine.
- Furniture and other wood products
The January 1888 issue of Orchard and Garden mentions the American chestnut as being “superior in quality to any found in Europe”. The wood is straight-grained, strong, and easy to saw and split, and it lacks the radial end grain found on most other hardwoods. The tree was particularly valuable commercially since it grew at a faster rate than oaks. Being rich in tannins, the wood was highly resistant to decay and therefore used for a variety of purposes, including furniture, split-rail fences, shingles, home construction, flooring, piers, plywood, paper pulp, and telephone poles.
Tannins were also extracted from the bark for tanning leather. Although larger trees are no longer available for milling, much chestnut wood has been reclaimed from historic barns to be refashioned into furniture and other items.
“Wormy” chestnut refers to a defective grade of wood that has insect damage, having been sawn from long-dead, blight-killed trees. This “wormy” wood has since become fashionable for its rustic character.
The American chestnut is not considered a particularly good patio shade tree because its droppings are prolific and a considerable nuisance. Catkins in the spring, spiny nut pods in the fall, and leaves in the early winter can all be a problem. These characteristics are more or less common to all shade trees, but perhaps not to the same degree as with the chestnut. The spiny seed pods are a particular nuisance when scattered over an area frequented by people.
IV. Harvesting and Storage
Chinese chestnuts(Castanea mollissima) have varying maturation periods. Wait to harvest until the chestnuts fully mature and fall off to the ground naturally, as those harvested this way are plump fruits that taste the best and store the longest. Don’t make the chestnuts fall off the tree by shaking the trunk. If you want to harvest the chestnuts to sow next year, place them in a cool shady corner, wait for the surface moisture to evaporate, and put them in dry, low-temperature storage (the temperature should not go below 0 ℃).
