Chestnut

Chestnut, any of various deciduous trees (genus Castanea) of the beech family, with edible nuts. The American chestnut is rare, having been nearly wiped out by a fungus, “chestnut blight,” introduced from Asia in 1904 and spread by woodpeckers. The related chinquapin of the southeastern states appears to be immune. Chestnuts are highly valued for their timber, nuts, and bark.