Castanea mollissima aka Chinese Chestnut

Castanea mollissima, also known as the Chinese chestnut, is a member of the family Fagaceae and a deciduous tree native to China, Taiwan, and Korea. It can grow up to 20 m tall with a broad crown and has alternate, simple leaves that can reach up to 22 cm long and 8 cm broad with a toothed margin. The flowers are produced in catkins 4–20 cm long, with the female flowers at the base of the catkin and males on the rest. The fruit is a spiny cupule 4–8 cm in diameter, containing two or three glossy brown nuts. This tree is grown as an ornamental tree and/or for its edible nuts. The Chinese chestnut is noted for its resistance to chestnut blight, which has nearly wiped out the native American chestnut. Chinese chestnut features oblong-lanceolate, coarsely toothed, dark green leaves that are soft green and pubescent beneath. Leaves turn varying shades of yellow in fall. Aromatic monoecious creamy yellowish-white flowers appear in catkins in late spring (June in St. Louis), the male flowers located at the top portion of the catkin and the female flowers located near the base. Flowers can be quite showy, albeit for a brief period. Flowers are followed by edible chestnuts, which are encased in spiny dehiscent burs (2-3” diameter), usually 2-3 nuts per bur. Although Chinese chestnuts are sometimes sold in farmers’ markets, it is the Spanish chestnut, Castanea sativa, that produces the chestnuts most often sold commercially. This tree prefers soil that is well-draining and thrives in long-lasting, direct light. It needs regular watering to grow and should be less than 1 foot from a window. The scientific name mollissima derives from the softly downy shoots and young leaves. The genus name comes from the Latin name for this tree, which was derived from the town of Castania in Thessaly where the trees reportedly grew in abundance. Specific epithet comes from the Latin word for soft, in reference to the pubescent twigs and leaf undersides.