Identifying American Chestnut Trees
This page is designed to help you distinguish among several species of the chestnut family (Castanea) commonly seen in North America. Also included are three non-chestnut species that are often confused with chestnut. Click on the names below to see examples and characteristics of the common species of chestnut or chestnut look-alikes.
Overview of Five Species
Chinese and American Chestnuts
Japanese Chestnut
European Chestnut
Allegheny Chinquapin
Chestnut Oaks, Beeches, and Horse Chestnuts
A good place to start is to compare American and Chinese chestnuts. Over 80% of the leaves that are sent to us each year for identification are either from Chinese chestnuts or Chinese/American hybrids, because these trees are resistant to the chestnut blight. Also compare true American chestnut with three trees often confused with chestnut: chestnut oak, beech, and horse chestnut.
HOW TO SUBMIT A LEAF & TWIG SAMPLE
Due to office closures and stay-at-home orders across TACF Regional States, response to leaf samples submitted for ID will be delayed. Thank you for your patience.
- Include the Tree Locator Form, so we can keep track of your sample and send you results. This form is vital for our inventory of wild trees. Results can take up to 4 – 8 weeks, depending where they are analyzed. You will get your results by mail or email.
- If you think you have an American chestnut tree, send us a freshly-cut 6-12 inch twig with mature leaves attached. Leaves should be from sunny exposure, if possible.
- Press leaves between pieces of cardboard to flatten and prevent curling or crushing as they dry.
- To prevent mold, do not put the sample into a plastic bag. Crushed or bent leaves are much harder to analyze, as are leaves that are not freshly collected.
- Spring or summer is the best time to collect samples for identification purposes.
- Please don’t send photos without mailing in a leaf sample as well. The pictures can actually help in the identification. We may not be able to ID solely from a picture, but it can add to the whole package of understanding your tree.
WHERE TO SEND SAMPLES
| Region | If your sample is from | Where to send |
|---|---|---|
 | Samples from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont, or New Hampshire | Kendra Collins New England Regional Science Coordinator Northern Research Station, US Forest Service 705 Spear Street South Burlington, VT 05403 |
 | Samples from Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Delaware | Sara Fitzsimmons Director of Restoration North Central Regional Science Coordinator Penn State University 206 Forest Resources Lab University Park, PA 16802 |
| North Central Region (NJ only) | Samples from New Jersey | Tony Rosati TACF Volunteer ID Specialist 3 Scenic Way Middletown, NJ 07748 |
 | Samples from Kentucky, Virginia, or West Virginia | Tom Saielli Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Coordinator The American Chestnut Foundation 900 Natural Resources Drive Charlottesville, VA 22903 |
| Mid-Atlantic Region (MD only) | Samples from Maryland | Gary Carver TACF Volunteer ID Specialist 3501 Big Woods Road Ijamsville, MD 21754-9421 |
 | Samples from Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, or Mississippi | Tom Saielli Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Coordinator The American Chestnut Foundation 900 Natural Resources Drive Charlottesville, VA 22903 |
| North America (USA other) | All other U.S. samples not listed above | Eric Jenkins Meadowview Tree Breeding Coordinator Meadowview Research Farms 29010 Hawthorne Dr Meadowview, VA 24361 |
| North America (Canada only) | Canada | Canadian Residents – Please contact: Canadian Chestnut Council chestnut.outreach@yahoo.ca 519-823-1458 Please do not ship sample to TACF. |
QUESTIONS ABOUT SENDING A LEAF & TWIG SAMPLE? CONTACT US!
Other Resources – Identification Sheet, Form, & Presentation:
Tree Identification Sheet
Tree Locator Form
Chestnut Identification Presentation