Chestnut Castanea henryi

Castanea is derived from the Greek word for the European chestnut tree, while henri honors Dr. Augustine Henry, an Irish physician.  Fluent in Chinese, part of his job included the collection of medicinal plant collecting.  The common names include chinquapin, which roughly translates to 'large fruit'.

They were brought to the US from Asia in 1935 by Cason J. Callaway of Callaway Garden in Hamilton, Georgia as part of the USDA's plant exploration and importation program.  Many of the varieties of chestnuts brought were affected by the Asian chestnut gall wasp. The one exception was the variety Castanea henryi, which did not appear to be affected by this disease.   It has since been used to cross-breed to produce better timber and also nut-producing trees.  

Its native habitat includes mountain slopes in mixed forests.  Its best performance will be in locations with cold winters and hot summers.  Without these variations, the tree will grow poorly and the wood may not ripen properly.  It can also suffer from frost damage.

The fragrant flowers bloom in the summer on new growth.  They are followed by spiny green chestnut burrs that remain on the tree until the fall, when they will fall to the ground and open.  The sweet chestnuts are then released to be enjoyed by both humans and wildlife such as squirrels and deer.  Any that do not get eaten can germinate.  

Its fruits can be eaten both raw or cooked.  Raw fruits have a bitter taste.  After baking the seeds, they have a sweeter taste and have a texture similar to flour.  

A large tree reaching up to 90 feet tall with its trunk diameter of up to 9 foot.  It prefers well-drained acidic loamy soil but can be grown in nutritionally poor.  It tolerates hot southern summers well.  It is very resistant to endothia blight and honey fungus.  

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems:  Minor issues with aphids, white flies, phylloxerans and leaf hoppers.  Chestnut blight is also a minor issue.