Stout smooth greenish to brown, with numerous small, white, raised lenticels. Nuts, flattened on one side, are shiny brown, sweet and edible. Dark brown and thick with shallow irregular furrows separating broad flat ridges. Formerly the most common and arguably the most valuable tree in Pennsylvania for both its wood and nuts. It now persists as stump sprouts and small trees due to the chestnut bark disease commonly called chestnut blight.
Chinese chestnut is resistant to chestnut blight.