Castanea mollissima comes from the mountains and forests of China, growing in the wild from sea level to nine thousand feet — an altitudinal range that speaks to its adaptability. The species name means soft, a reference to the downy undersides of its leaves and the pubescent young twigs, details easy to miss until you look closely. In cultivation it matures at around forty feet with a symmetrical, rounded crown that branches close to the ground, giving it a more landscapable silhouette than many of its chestnut relatives.

Its resistance to chestnut blight is the quality that brought it to American gardens in the first place, and that resistance remains its most important practical attribute. The flowers carry a scent that some find pleasant and others less so — the same ambiguity appears in many chestnut flowers, and it is brief enough to forgive. The nuts that follow are the real reward: edible, wildlife-attracting, and available in greater abundance if two or more trees are planted together for cross-pollination. Chestnuts falling in autumn can create litter, so site this tree with that in mind. It tolerates clay, sand, and nutritionally poor soils, handles drought and heat with equanimity, and asks mostly for full sun and reasonable drainage. As shade trees go, it earns its place.