The American chestnut once was one of the largest trees in Eastern United States. Because of a parasite, it is now a rare stump sprout in the forest and seldom, if ever, a large tree. Because they rarely reach mature size, they rarely show their flowers—light-tan catkins. The female flowers produce green burs that dry to brown and split into four sections, releasing about four edible "chestnuts".

Edible Parts: Shelled chestnuts are edible raw.

The American chestnut once was one of the largest trees in Eastren United States. Because of a parasite it is now a rare stump sprout in the forest and seldom, if ever, a large tree.

Castanea dentata has distinctively hook-toothed leaves.

The female flowers produce green burs that dry to brown and split into four sections, releasing about four edible "chestnuts".

Castanea dentata twigs are chestnut colored with many bright lenticels.

Because of a parasite (the chesntut blight), American chestnuts are now rare stump sprouts in the forest and seldom, if ever, large trees. The chestnut blight produces a canker that eventually encirles previously healthy stems and kills them.