It has been almost completely destroyed by blight. Chestnut is a deciduous tree or shrub, which is cultivated in a similar manner to other deciduous nut trees. It bears brown nuts, about an inch in diameter, which are usually consumed after they are roasted. It consists of a group of catkins 4 to 8 inches long.
Catkins bearing only staminate florets make up the bulk of the inflorescence.
Those produced near the base bear both staminate and pistillate florets. The latter, near the base of the catkin, are few in number. Usually three pistillate florets make up an involucre, each floret capable of producing three nuts. The bees do not intentionally visit the pistillate flowers, but may accidentally come in contact with them while visiting the staminate flowers. He noted that isolated trees bear few nuts or even a fair crop, but best results are invariably obtained from trees in a mixed orchard where good pollen is available.