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American Chestnut

Castanea dentata

Found in moist and dry forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

86
Keystone

Native to Alabama. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
50–75 feet
Spread
50–75 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 30 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Chestnut blight. Chestnut blight usually kills it back to stump sprouts and small trees at about the size of first fruiting. Plant caution source

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
Summer
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 37 Alabama counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Alabama. Shared habitat, not food. 69 animals.

All wildlife of Alabama

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

99CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AL

Genus host records with ranges including AL · Castanea

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta lithospilaStreaked Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Ancylis burgessianaOak Leafroller
Show all 99
  • Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
  • Anisota senatoriaOrange-Tipped Oakworm Moth, Orangestriped Oakworm
  • Anisota stigmaSpiny Oakworm Moth, Stigma Moth
  • Antheraea polyphemusPolyphemus Moth
  • Apantesis phylliraPhyllira Tiger Moth
  • Argyrotaenia marianaGray-Banded Leafroller Moth
  • Biston betulariaSalt-and-Pepper Geometer, Cleft-Headed Looper
  • Blastobasis glandulellaAcorn Moth
  • Catocala palaeogamaOldwife Underwing
  • Cecrita guttivittaMaple Prominent, Saddled Prominent
  • Celypha nr.Celypha Moth
  • Cleora sublunariaDouble-Lined Gray
  • Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
  • Dasychira meridionalisSouthern Tussock Moth
  • Datana contractaContracted Datana
  • Datana ministraYellow-Necked Caterpillar Moth
  • Dichomeris ligulellaPalmerworm
  • Dyseriocrania griseocapitellaChinquapin Leaf-Miner
  • Eacles imperialisImperial Moth, Imperial Spiny Caterpillar
  • Ennomos magnariaMaple Spanworm Moth, Notchwing Geometer
  • Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth
  • Euchlaena obtusariaObtuse Euchlaena
  • Euclea delphiniiSpiny Oak-Slug Moth
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Gesta brizoSleepy Duskywing
  • Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
  • Heterogenea shurtleffiRed-Eyed Button Slug
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyperstrotia villificansWhite-Lined Graylet
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Ianassa lignicolorWhite-Streaked Prominent
  • Isa textulaCrowned Slug
  • Lambdina fervidariaCurve-Lined Looper Moth
  • Lambdina fiscellariaHemlock Looper, Western Oak Looper
  • Lithacodes fasciolaYellow-Shouldered Slug
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Machimia tentoriferellaGold-Striped Leaftier Moth
  • Macrurocampa marthesiaMottled Prominent
  • Mompha cephalonthiellaButtonbush Leafminer
  • Morrisonia confusaConfused Woodgrain
  • Nadata gibbosaWhite-Dotted Prominent
  • Natada nasoniNason's Slug Moth
  • Nematocampa resistariaFilament Bearer, Horned Spanworm Moth
  • Neurobathra strigifinitellaFinite-Channeled Leafminer
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia rubescensRuby Quaker
  • Paleacrita vernataSpring Cankerworm Moth
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Pandemis limitataThree-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Paonias excaecataBlinded Sphinx, Blind Eyed Sphinx
  • Paranthrene simulansHornet Clearwing, Golden Oak Borer
  • Parasa chlorisSmaller Parasa, Green Slug Moth
  • Parasa indeterminaStinging Rose Caterpillar Moth, Rose Slug Caterpillar
  • Peridea angulosaAngulose Prominent
  • Phigalia strigatariaSmall Phigalia, Small Oak Looper
  • Phobetron pitheciumHag Moth, Monkey Slug
  • Plagodis alcoolariaHollow-Spotted Plagodis
  • Plagodis fervidariaFervid Plagodis
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Prionoxystus macmurtreiLittle Carpenterworm, Lesser Oak Carpenter Worm
  • Prionoxystus robiniaeCarpenterworm Moth, Black Locust Borer, Cottonwood Borer
  • Probole amicariaFriendly Probole
  • Prolimacodes badiaSkiff Moth, Skiff Caterpillar
  • Pseudexentera spolianaBare-Patched Leafroller
  • Psilocorsis cryptolechiellaBlack-Fringed Leaftier
  • Psilocorsis quercicellaOak Leaftier
  • Satyrium calanusBanded Hairstreak, Falacer Hairstreak
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Scolecocampa liburnaDead-Wood Borer
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Spragueia onagrusBlack-Dotted Spragueia
  • Symmerista albifronsWhite-Headed Prominent
  • Synanthedon castaneaeChestnut Clearwing Borer
  • Synanthedon pictipesLesser Peachtree Borer Moth
  • Synanthedon scitulaDogwood Borer, Pecan Borer
  • Synchlora aerataWavy-Lined Emerald, Camouflaged Looper
  • Tetracis crocallataYellow Slant-Line
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Tischeria quercitellaOak Blotch Miner
  • Tortricidia flexuosaAbbreviated Button Slug Moth
  • Tortricidia testaceaEarly Button Slug
  • Antaeotricha unipunctella
  • Coptotriche zelleriella
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Menesta tortriciformella
  • Pseudexentera haracana
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
5BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Castanea

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1Specialist beesPollen specialists

Pollen specialists · Castanea

  • Andrena rehni
Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Castanea

  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Fagaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Yellow or white
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single stem
Foliage color
Yellow-green
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October
Growing sources and scope
  • Bloom · “Summer” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), USDA PLANTS differ)
  • Flower color · “Yellow or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
  • Foliage color · “Yellow-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Fruit begins · “September” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
  • Growth habit · “Single stem” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
  • Hardiness · “Zones 5a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Height · “50–75 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
  • Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differs)
  • Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
  • Soil · “Good drainage; Moist; Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center differ)
  • Soil pH · “Acidic” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
  • Spread · “50–75 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Alabama rankSNR
Global rankG3
AL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources