Leaves of Castanea dentata are simple, alternate, coarsely toothed and often exceed 15 cm in length. The fruit is a large, spiny "bur" containing 1-3 edible nuts.

Castanea dentata was a major forest tree of the eastern U.S., but it has been driven nearly to extinction by chestnut blight, a disease introduced from Europe. It is not native to Wisconsin, but escaped individuals from introduced trees have been reported at several locations.