Victor King Chesnut (June 28, 1867 – August 29, 1938) was an American botanist and chemist who pioneered the scientific study of poisonous plants in the United States.

For a brief period, he studied at the University of Chicago, then was accepted as a botany assistant at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1894.

In November 1894, the department decided to undergo an investigation of poisonous plants, placing Chesnut in charge of this program.

[4] In 1898, Chesnut was the author of Principal Poisonous Plants of the United States; a government report that was widely circulated and reprinted with illustrations.

During this time, he was a chemist at the Montana Experimental Station,[3] and collaborated with the USDA on poisonous plant investigations.