Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
China, Korea
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Castanea mollissima
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
20-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
disturbed sites, Forest edges
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-812-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Spreading
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Light Yellow, Ivory
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Light Green, Chartreuse
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Gray Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Gold, Tan
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Lobed
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Do Not over Water, Medium, Requires watering in the growing season
Needs very little water
In Summer
Adequately
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
Prune in fall, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Nitrogen, Potassium
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Beetles, Leafhoppers
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Hummingbirds
Allergy
Mild Allergen
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Food for animals, Food for birds, Food for insects, Nesting sites for birds, Prevent Soil Erosion
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Low calories, Nutrients
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Seeds, Stem
Leaves
Other Uses
Food for animals, Used as firewood, Used As Food, Used in biomass
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CASTANEA mollissima
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Chinese Chestnut
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
चीनी अखरोट
sotol
In German
chinesische Kastanie
Dasylirion texanum
In French
châtaignier chinois
sotol
In Spanish
Castaño chino
sotol
In Greek
Κινέζικο κάστανο
sotol
In Portuguese
castanha chinesa
sotol
In Polish
Kasztan chiński
sotol
In Latin
Chinese Chestnut
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fagales
Liliales
Family
Fagaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Castanea
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Monocots
Tribe
Gloxinieae
-
Subfamily
Cassidinae
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
15300
1
27800
👆🏻