Phytophthora is a major limitation throughout much of Spain and Portugal. European chestnuts were introduced in the early 1700's, Japanese chestnuts by 1860, and Chinese chestnuts in the late 1800's. In the early 1900's however, the accidental introduction of chestnut blight destroyed almost all C. dentata, and most C. crenata and C. sativa plantings by the 1950's. Many of the present generation of Americans therefore do not know what chestnuts are. In the US now, there are estimated to be 800 ha of bearing chestnuts, and perhaps 2,000 ha of non-bearing trees.
Most production is concentrated in the western states of California, Oregon and Washington.
The aim of the US chestnut industry is to increase plantings to 120,000 ha. This is the area that would be required to bring US consumption to European levels. This is the main concern of most chestnut researchers and supporters throughout much of the nation, and emphasis is placed on forest rather than orchard related problems, and tree form and timber production often take priority over nut production. Nevertheless, an organized nut industry is developing. Plantings on the west coast are mostly C. sativa x C. crenata.