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American Chestnut

Castanea dentata

Found in moist and dry forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Northern Tier edition What its natural habitat tells you

86
Keystone

Native to West Virginia. 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 19 West Virginia 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 West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 128 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

110CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Castanea

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Acronicta americanaAmerican Dagger
  • Acronicta incretaSouthern Oak Dagger, Eclipsed Oak Dagger, Small Oak Dagger
  • Acronicta lithospilaStreaked Dagger
  • Acronicta ovataOvate Dagger, Epauleted Oak Dagger
  • Actias lunaLuna Moth
  • Adoneta spinuloidesPurple-Crested Slug
  • Alsophila pometariaFall Cankerworm Moth
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
Show all 110
  • Ancylis divisanaTwo-Toned Ancylis
  • Anisota peigleriPeigler's Oakworm Moth
  • Anisota senatoriaOrange-Tipped Oakworm Moth, Orangestriped Oakworm
  • Anisota stigmaSpiny Oakworm Moth, Stigma Moth
  • Anisota virginiensisPink-striped Oakworm 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
  • Colocasia propinquilineaClosebanded Yellowhorn
  • Coptotriche citrinipennellaOakleaf Edgeminer
  • Cydia latiferreanaFilbertworm
  • Dasychira dorsipennataSharp-Lined 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
  • 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
  • Lithophane laticinereaBroad Ashen Pinion, Russet Spotted Pinion, Triple-Spotted Pinion
  • Lochmaeus manteoVariable Oakleaf Caterpillar Moth
  • Lophocampa caryaeHickory Tussock Moth, Hickory Tiger 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
  • Packardia elegansElegant Tailed Slug
  • 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 caryaevorusHickory Hairstreak
  • Satyrium liparopsStriped Hairstreak
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Scolecocampa liburnaDead-Wood Borer
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Symmerista albifronsWhite-Headed Prominent
  • Symmerista canicostaRed-Humped Oakworm
  • 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
  • Coptotriche castaneaeella
  • Coptotriche fuscomarginella
  • Coptotriche zelleriella
  • Dichomeris ventrellus
  • Menesta tortriciformella
  • Pseudexentera faracana
  • Pseudexentera haracana
  • Stigmella macrocarpae
  • Stigmella saginella
  • Zimmermannia bosquella
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

Conservation status

West Virginia rankS3
Global rankG3
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Sources