American chestnut

Overview

American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once the great timber tree of the eastern forest: light to medium brown, coarse-textured, very durable and easy to work. An introduced bark fungus killed over three billion of the trees in the early 1900s, so the chestnut lumber you can buy now is mostly salvaged "wormy chestnut" from old barns and standing dead trees. Pick it for a rustic, historic look, accepting that supply is limited.

Pros

• Rated very durable for decay resistance.
• Easy to work with hand and machine tools, and glues, stains and finishes well.
• Lighter than white oak, at 540 lbf and about 480 kg/m3 dried.
• Low shrinkage movement for a hardwood: 3.4% radial and 6.7% tangential.
• Wormy chestnut has a distinctive, rustic character prized in reclaimed work.

Cons

• Rare, with lumber that is relatively valuable; the Wood Database says prices are likely high for a domestic hardwood.
• Splits easily, so take care in nailing and screwing.
• Coarse texture and spiral or interlocked grain; turning is mediocre.
• Wormy chestnut has holes and discolouration from insects, nail holes and contamination from its previous life as barn or building timber.
• Other Castanea species have been reported to cause skin irritation.

Variants and subspecies

• Sound chestnut: clear, unblemished wood, scarce.
• Wormy chestnut: timber from trees killed by blight, later damaged by insects, leaving holes and discolouration; the Wood Database says it is usually salvaged from old barns and structures and sold as reclaimed lumber. See Reclaimed lumber.
• Other chestnuts: the Wood Database cites C. sativa and C. mollissima (European and Chinese chestnut), which have been reported to cause skin irritation. Related trees on the West Coast: Golden chinkapin and Tanoak.

Working and finishing

The Wood Database says chestnut is easy to work with hand and machine tools but splits easily, so take care in nailing and screwing; turning is mediocre because of its coarse texture. It glues, stains and finishes well. Reclaimed boards may hold old nails, grit and metal, so check with a detector before milling and expect to wash or plane off dirt.

Staining and finishing colour

Heartwood is light to medium brown, darkening to a reddish brown with age; sapwood is narrow, well defined and pale. The Wood Database says it stains and finishes well. Wormy stock is chosen for its holes and discolouration, so avoid heavy colouring that hides them.

Sustainability and handling

The Wood Database reports American chestnut as not listed in the CITES Appendices (checked 2026-09-30) and, in its own words, not on the IUCN Red List; Wikipedia's page for the tree, however, gives Critically Endangered (IUCN 2018), so the sources conflict and the tree should be treated as severely threatened. The cause was chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), an Asian bark fungus that killed over three billion trees; dead standing trees were then attacked by insects. Salvaged and reclaimed wood avoids cutting living trees. US-grown timber is still covered by the Lacey Act, which as amended in 2008 prohibits trade in plants and timber taken, possessed, transported or sold in violation of law (Wikipedia's summary of the Act); buy from dealers who can name the source. The Wood Database reports no adverse health effects specifically for American chestnut. The Wood Database's wood-dust article treats wood dust in general as an irritant or sensitizer and notes that fine dust can cause cumulative lung damage, so extract at the source and wear a respirator when sanding or machining.

Popular projects

Flooring, rustic furniture, shingles, wall panelling, and reclaimed barn-wood tables and mantels; the Wood Database lists flooring, rustic furniture, shingles and reclaimed lumber. Wormy chestnut suits pieces where a worn, rustic look is the aim.

Buying notes

Nearly all supply is reclaimed. One seller lists $7.00 per board foot (8/4 $8.50); no other list price was found, so quotes will vary with grade and wormholes. Ask whether the wood is true Castanea dentata and how it was salvaged, check for metal, and ask about moisture content.