Yes, Chestnut could be confused with Elm. Both trees have simple (not lobed) leaves with teeth along the edges of the leaf. I am not saying an expert would confuse the two trees, but a casual observer definitely could confuse the two. As for American Chestnut, there are many of them in the woods around here.. A few of the biggest ones are six inches in diameter at the base and 30 feet tall or taller. Many of them produce nuts for a few years before the blight kills them. There are no large American Chestnut trees here, but stump sprouts and seedlings are not hard to find on dry ridges. I have cut downed chestnut while clearing hiking trails, and the wood is light and rather soft - softer and lighter than elm. Chinese chestnut are common in yards, but I have not seen many Chinese Chestnut seedlings in the woods, at least none that I recognized as Chinese Chestnut.
