// SPECIES PROFILE · TREE · FOOD CROP · CULTIVATED

Chinese Chestnut

Castanea mollissima

Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) is a cultivated nut tree grown for its edible nut. Family: Fagaceae (beech family). Originally from China & Korea. Hardy in zones 4a–8a. Mature size 40'–60'. Harvest in northeastern Oklahoma: Sep–Oct.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Fagaceae (beech family)
Group: tree · perennial
Origin: China & Korea · cultivated
USDA zones: Zones 4a–8a
Mature size: 40'–60'
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Edible parts: nut
Harvest (NE OK): Sep–Oct
Garden role: blight-resistant nut tree · plant two for pollination · starchy staple for a food forest

Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima) — *Castanea mollissima* — Chinese Chestnut. Photo by Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulurist, Bugwood.org via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0 us).

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Why it's on this list: blight-resistant nut tree · plant two for pollination · starchy staple for a food forest. A cultivated food crop — not a native — grown alongside regional natives in Rooted Revival's kitchen-garden and food-forest designs. Harvest windows are for northeastern Oklahoma (USDA zone 7a).

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a kitchen garden or food-forest guild, chinese chestnut pairs well with: American Hazelnut (Corylus americana), New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus), Pawpaw (Asimina triloba), Comfrey (Symphytum officinale).