Japanese Chestnuts

Japanese Chestnut Leaf

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

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 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

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