The Difference Between American Chestnut & Oak Trees
While both oak trees and the American chestnut tree hail from the Beech family of trees, there are several distinct differences. Among them are their geographical placement, their leaves and the types of nuts they produce. Does this Spark an idea?
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Geography
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The assortment of oak tree species in the United States cover a good portion of the country, but the American chestnut tree grows only in New England, some of the Mid-Atlantic States and into the middle of the South.
Identification
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Oak trees have leaves of varying types, with many possessing pointed or rounded lobes. American chestnut leaves have elliptical leaves with distinct "teeth" on the edges.
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Considerations
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Oaks have relatively few diseases that affect them in a serious manner, but the American chestnut faces extinction from a deadly fungal blight that wipes out trees before they mature.
Size
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The 60 types of oak trees in this country differ in size, with some classified as shrubs while others exceed 100 feet. The American chestnut once grew to 100 feet high when mature, but rarely makes it more than 25 feet now before the blight that plagues the species engulfs it.
Features
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Oaks produce acorns, a small nut with a "cap" where it attaches to the twig. American chestnuts yield a fruit that features a spiny husk that protects the two or three flattened nuts within it.
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