Also called Korean chestnut or Korean castanea . Japanese chestnut is noted for having resistance to chestnut blight which is the disease that has nearly wiped out the native American chestnut .
This is a shrub or tree that may grow to 9 meters (30 feet) or more, is found at elevations of less than 915 meters (3,000 feet) .
The oblong-lanceolate, toothed, dark green leaves are similar to those of the sweet chestnut, though usually a little smaller, (3-7” long) are pubescent beneath. Leaves turn varying shades of yellow and bronze in fall.
Aromatic, monoecious, creamy yellowish-white flowers appear in catkins in late spring (May-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. Nut size is variable (from 2" diameter to much smaller).
Zone: 4 to 8 - Cold Hardy(20°)-(15°)
Edible parts of :
Seed - raw or cooked. A good potato substitute. A source of starch. Very variable in size and quality, any astringency can be removed by boiling the seed in salty water.
Other uses of :
The bark, leaves, wood and seed husks all contain tannin. Wood - hard, strong, light, very durable. Used for furniture, construction, fence posts etc.