The Chinese chestnut [plant family Fagaceae] is a small- to medium-sized (max 64 ft) tree with broad crown. The oval-shaped leaves are simple, alternate and toothed. The top of the leaf is somewhat leathery and underneath paler green and hairy. The flowers appear as catkins with female flowers at the base and male flowers elsewhere. The fruit is a brown nut (2.5 in) housed in a spiny coat. They are edible and an important food source for forest animals. The tree is resistant to the chestnut blight that has wiped out the American chestnut.
