Chestnut Identification

Information copied by permission from this site:
Chestnut species identification, by Paul Sisco, TACF Staff Geneticist, <paul@acf.org>

This information is designed to help distinguish among several species of the chestnut family (Castanea ) commonly seen in North America. Also included are three non-chestnut species that are often confused with chestnut.

 

Top photo:Topside of leaves

Bottom photo:
  Underside of leaves

Top row: Allegheny chinkapin leaf

Bottom row (from left): American, Chinese, European, and Japanese chestnut leaves

 

Chestnut Stems and Buds

From Left:American, Chinese, European, and Japanese twigs

American twig: pointed bud at 45 degree angle from stem; smooth, reddish stem

Chinese twig: rounded, hairy buds, large stipules, large lenticels

European twig: thick stem, large buds

Japanese twig: pale, pinkish stem

Chestnut and Chinkapin Burs 

  From Top, Clockwise:

Allegheny chinkapin, European chestnut, Japanese chestnut, Chinese chestnut, and American chestnut burs

Note that the Chinese bur looks small, even though the nuts inside are large.
This is because of their short, stubby spines.

Chestnut vs. Chinkapin burs

 Chestnuts

  Chinkapins

 

 

 
Chestnut burs have two sutures and
open into four valves (sections)

  
There are up to three nuts per bur

  
  
Chinkapin burs have one suture and

  
open into two valves (sections).

  
There is only a single nut per bur

  		
 










Chestnut and Chinkapin Nuts 





 

  
  
 

  

  		
 

 

  
  
 
  Top and Side Views of Chestnuts
  

  
From Left:
   
  American, Chinese, Japanese, and European chestnuts

  		
 

 

  
  
 
  

  		
 

 

  
  
Top:
   Chinkapin nuts: note the pointed end

  
Middle:
   American chestnuts: note the hairy surface

  
Bottom: 
   Chinese chestnuts: note the rounded end
  

  		
 













 
  

 		




 
  
Top View
  


  
American Leaf (left):
  


  

  Leaf is long in relation to its width


  
Large
  , prominent teeth on edge; bristle
  at the end of each tooth curves inward


  

  Base of leaf blade tapers sharply


  
Leaf is very thin and
  papery


  
Chinese Leaf (right):
  


  
Leaf is oval-shaped


  
Teeth are smaller


  
Base of leaf blade is rounded


  
Leaf is thick and waxy-feeling


  
 

 		










 

  


  		
 

 

  

Bottom View




American Leaf
(left):




Elongated leaf



Large,
 prominent teeth on edge; bristle on teeth curves inward




Blade tapers sharply to meet stem at base of leaf blade



Light green
underside on leaves exposed to the sun



 



Chinese Leaf (right):




Oval-shaped
leaf



Small
 teeth on edge



Base of leaf blade rounded



Underside of sun
 leaves look whitish because of many hairs

  		
 










 

  
  
  

  
American Buds and Lenticels

  
 

  
Pointed
  buds that angle away from the stem

  
Stems
  smooth and hairless

  
Stem color
  reddish brown to dark green

  
Small
  but numerous lenticels on stem

  		
  
  

  
Chinese Buds and
  Lenticels

  
 

  
Rounded buds that hug the stem

  
Hairy stems and hairy leaf veins

  
Stem color tan to pea-green

  
Large lenticels (bumps) on stem

  

  		
 











 

  
  

  
American
  Stipules

  
 

  
Slender

  
Angle sharply out from stem

  
Usually fall off in June

  
 

  

  		
  
  

  
Chinese Stipules

  
 

  
Broad

  
Cover the buds

  
Remain on the stem through September
   

  
 

  

  		
 











American Bur --------Chinese Bur





 

  
  
American Chestnut Burs:

  
A dense mass of long, slender spines

  
Spines are 2 to 3 cm long, 0.5 mm thick

  
Up to 3 nuts per bur

  		
  
  
Chinese Chestnut Burs:

  
A sparse mass of short, thick spines

  
Spines are 1 to 2 cm long, 1 mm thick

  
Up to 3 nuts per bur

 















American ------ Chinese





 

  
  
American Chestnuts:

  
Nuts are relatively small,

   1/2 to 1 inch in diameter

  
Tips of American chestnuts are

   pointed

  
Nuts are hairy over 1/3 to

   2/3 of length from pointed end

  
Vascular bundles in a 

  sunburst pattern on hilum end

  
2 to 3 nuts in each bur

  		
  
  
Chinese Chestnuts:

  
Nuts are relatively large,

   3/4 to 2 inches in diameter

  
Tips of Chinese chestnuts

   are rounded

  
Only the tips of

   the nuts are hairy

  
Vascular bundles in a 

   diffuse pattern on hilum end

  
2 to 3 nuts in each bur

  		
 









Trees
often mistaken for true chestnuts





 

  
  
 
  Chestnut Oak

  
(Quercus prinus)

  		
  
  

  American Beech

  
(Fagus grandifolia)

  
  
   Horsechestnut

  
(Buckeye)

  
(Aesculus
  hippocastanum)

  		
 

 

  
  
 

  		
  
  
 

  		
  
  
 

  		
 

 

  
  
Edges of leaf are scalloped

  
Produces acorns

  
Buds covered with scales

  		
  
  
Leaves broad and short

  
Beechnut is tiny

  
Very long, thin buds

  
Birch-type bark

  		
  
  
Compound leaf (7 leaflets)

  
Buckeye nuts rounded