Japanese Chestnuts

Leaves

Japanese Chestnut Leaf

Very small teeth on leaf edges
Leaf elongate, with almost parallel sides

American Chestnut bur and Chinese Chestnut bur side by side

Burs

American Chestnut Burs:
A dense mass of long, slender spines
Spines are 2 to 3 cm long, 0.5 mm thick
Up to 3 nuts per bur

Japanese Chestnut Burs:
A mass of spines that interlock in a thatched pattern
Up to 3 nuts per bur

American Chestnut bur and Chinese Chestnut bur side by side

Nuts

American Chestnuts:
Nuts are relatively small, 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter
Tips of American chestnuts are pointed
Nuts are hairy over 1/3 to 2/3 of length from pointed end
Vascular bundles in a sunburst pattern on hilum end
2 to 3 nuts in each bur

Comparing four species of nuts from the side showing size variations and texture.

Japanese Chestnuts:

Nuts are relatively large, 1 to 2 inches in diameter
Tips of Japanese chestnuts are pointed
Very little surface hair; only at tip
Vascular bundles in a diffuse pattern on hilum end
2 to 3 nuts in each bur

Comparing four species of nuts from the hilum end.