Chestnut (Nut trees)

The American chestnut, Castanea dentata, is a very large, monoecious deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. Before the species was devastated by the chestnut blight, a fungal disease, it was one of the most important forest trees throughout its range. There are now very few mature specimens of the tree within its historical range, although many small shoots of the former live trees remain. However, there are hundreds of large (2 to 5 ft diameter) trees outside its historical range, some in areas where less virulent strains of the pathogen are more common. The american Chestnut was important for timber as well as nuts for human use as well as wildlife. A deadly fungus disease, introduced from the Orient effectively wiped out this chestnut in the first half of the 20th century.

Efforts are currently being made at Meadowview in Virginia by the American Chestnut Foundation to "bring the American chestnut back" as a forest tree again through a back cross technique using a highly fungus resistant Chinese chestnut as a source of resistance genes. After the first cross with an American chestnut is made, the progeny are screened to recover the trees that have the resistance genes. These trees are then back crossed to another American chestnut and the offspring are screened again. This process is repeated several times to "wash out" most of the Chinese chestnut genes, leaving a nearly pure American chestnut with the fungus resistance genes in place. When two of these trees with the resistance genes are subsequently crossed with each other, 100% of the offspring will inherit the resistance genes and the trees can be reintroduced to the forests. The Chinese chestnut cannot be used as a reforestation tree simply because it does not reach the height of the American native and would never be able to dominate the forest. It is hoped that this backcross tree will have the height requirement necessary. This long term project is past the half way point, with a few years to go in its program.

The american chestnut produces a small to medium size nut which has a better taste than the chinese and the European one.

Suitable for zone 4 b

Castanea pumila, commonly known as the Allegheny chinquapin, American chinquapin or dwarf chestnut, is a specie of chestnut native to the central and southeastern United States. The plant's habitat is dry, sandy and rocky uplands and ridges. It grows best on well-drained soils in full sun or partial shade.

It is a spreading shrub or small tree, reaching 2 to 8 m in height at maturity. The bark is red or gray-brown and slightly furrowed into scaly plates. The leaves are simple, narrowly elliptical or lanceolate, yellow-green above and lighter and finely hairy on the underside. The fruit is a golden-colored cupule 2–3 cm in diameter with many sharp spines, maturing in autumn. Each cupule contains one ovoid shiny dark brown chestnut

The Allegheny chinkapin is closely related to the American Chestnut, Castanea dentata, and both trees can be found in the same habitat. Allegheny Chinkapin can be distinguished by its smaller nut (half the size of a chestnut) that is not flattened (chestnuts are flattened on one side). The leaves of the Allegheny Chinkapin are smaller than the American Chestnut and have less distinct teeth. Allegheny Chinkapin, however, is less susceptible to the chestnut blight fungus that devastated the American Chestnut. While the Chinkapin does blight to some degree, it continues to send out suckers that will produce fruit.

Chinquapins are used in landscapes for the purpose of attracting wildlife. When the base of the plant is cut or wounded at ground level the plant will grow multiple stalks producing a thick cover used by turkeys. The nuts are consumed by squirrels and rabbits while white tail deers graze upon the foliage.

zone 5b minimal

Ever dream of creating your own orchard where you could go out and pick fresh chestnuts? Now is a great time to start, and what better choice than Luvall's Monster Chestnut. This American-Chinese cultivar is very cold-hardy and produce extra-large chestnuts that are perfect for roasting! Though Laval is a great nut-producing tree, Luvall's is not self-pollinating, meaning that you will need to include another chestnut variant into your landscape. Mix and match chestnuts to create your own chestnut grove for fresh nuts each year!

Our chestnuts are not GMO, Genetically Modified Organisms, which are created in a laboratory

Pedigree: sativa * crenata
Origin: France
Chestnut blight susceptible: Yes
Bloom time: Mid season
Median female flowers: 5
Maximum female flowers: 7
Tree growth habit: medium growing upright
Harvest: Mid season
Nut per lb:
Nuts per burr: Usually 3
Production: Medium producer of medium nuts that store well Pellicle: removal very easy
Split kernels: none
Pollen: Good pollinator
Cold Hardy: -15F or -26 Celcius

Cultivar discussion:
This hybrid comes to us from France. Nut fall is mid season and fall in the burr. The tree wants to grow more upright than most ExJ hybrids. Nut size is medium to large. It is know for its resistance to root rot. The nuts are easy to peel once the have cured for a few days. This tree is a little slow growing compared to other ExJ hybrids. Fruiting can take 4 -5 years and production is medium. Once cured for a few days this chestnut can be as sweet as candy. This cultivar can be a pollinator for most of the pollen sterile chestnut trees such as Colossal, Bouch de Betizac, and Marrone.

The sweet-tasting nuts are often roasted for the holidays.

Hardiness zone: Chinese chestnut grows in hardiness zones 5 to 9.

Sun preference: Full sun is the ideal condition for this tree.

Soil: Chinese chestnut grows in acidic, loamy, moist, sandy, well-drained and clay soils. It is drought tolerant.

Resistance: Is very resistant to chestnut blight.

Pollination: Must be planted in pairs or groups to ensure pollination.

Meader 1 has slightly smaller nuts than the Meader 4, fewer blanks, and less IKB.  Meader 1 has nuts slightly larger than American chestnuts with very few blanks and little to no internal kernel breakdown IKB.  In other words, Meader 1 has "settled down" genetically, but it is still a short season cultivar and I assume cold hardy.  It has a timber-type stem form.

Seedlings cultivar called 'Meader's New Hampshire #4'  which is a hybrid involving American, Chinese, and Japanese, made in New Hampshire. It is cold-hardy and short-season.  for minimal zone 4b. Very not susceptible to the Chestnut blight.

American chestnut, European chestnut, and Japanese chestnut complex hardy for zone 4b and a good bearer

hardy enough to zone 5a and possibly in a protected zone 4b.

Our seedlings come from a Quebec source parents, are hardy and resistant

The hybrid chestnut is a cross between American and Chinese. It produces larger nuts but the tree is much smaller. The Chinese chestnut and its hybrids are largely blight resistant and are being planted to fill the void. The American hybrids have the greater hardiness and timber form of the native. Not enough hardy to zone 4, suitable for zone 5a-5b.

Successful trial at the nursery in zone 4b..resistant to -33C

small to medium size nuts. From Badgersett Farms in Minnesota. suited for zone 4b.

This is the coldest, driest place in the world where anyone works seriously with chestnuts as a crop.  A mixture of the Chinese, American, European, Japanese, and Seguin chestnut species, they are so far down the path to domestication that it is no longer possible to say "this is a mostly Chinese tree" - or any other variation.  They are Neohybrids.  Our population has come through test winters of -42°F, extreme drought, cold summers, hot summers, and the chestnut blight.  The majority are not as large as the common European chestnuts in most supermarkets, but closely resemble the "North China" type, in size, flavor, and ease of peeling.  In China; these are the most valuable.

Chestnuts love acid soil and should never be limed unless a severe deficiency of calcium is suspected.  Alkaline soils should probably be acidified to insure establishing transplants. Chestnuts show the most potential as annual nut producers of all the nut tree species. This is because their late flowering enables them to escape spring frosts and early fall maturing allows for annual crops. Nuts are contained in squirrel-proof burrs until they ripe and fall to the ground. All varieties have sweet  nuts superior to European chestnuts often available at grocery stores. Trees generally reach 35′-40′ so (10 to 12 m) high and should be spaced 20-40′ apart (6 to 12 m).  Production from seedlings begins in 8-10 years. Plant at least 2 different varieties for pollination. All of our varieties appear to be resistant to the chestnut blight fungus except out pure american chestnut

Variety producing nuts of medium size. Good tolerance to Chestnut Blight. Average hardiness of 5a-5b. Can be planted in area 4b protected from the wind, a warmer corner of your woodland or backyard. This species is trial in our orchards and at the nursery.
Chestnuts love acid soil and should never be limed unless a severe deficiency of calcium is suspected.  Alkaline soils should probably be acidified to insure establishing transplants. Chestnuts show the most potential as annual nut producers of all the nut tree species. This is because their late flowering enables them to escape spring frosts and early fall maturing allows for annual crops. Nuts are contained in squirrel-proof burrs until they ripe and fall to the ground. All varieties have sweet  nuts superior to European chestnuts often available at grocery stores. Trees generally reach 35′-40′ so (10 to 12 m) high and should be spaced 20-40′ apart (6 to 12 m).  Production from seedlings begins in 8-10 years. Plant at least 2 different varieties for pollination. All of our varieties appear to be resistant to the chestnut blight fungus except out pure american chestnut

DOUGLASS: Developed by using the widest variety of vigorous hybrid plants found within the cold hardy Douglass hybrids from upstate New York where temperatures go below -25F.  This older planting done in the 1970's was more or less an accidental crossing of the Manchurian chestnut and the American chestnuts. Earl Douglass found these to be much longer lived and immune or highly resistant to chestnut blight.

Chestnuts love acid soil and should never be limed unless a severe deficiency of calcium is suspected.  Alkaline soils should probably be acidified to insure establishing transplants. Chestnuts show the most potential as annual nut producers of all the nut tree species. This is because their late flowering enables them to escape spring frosts and early fall maturing allows for annual crops. Nuts are contained in squirrel-proof burrs until they ripe and fall to the ground. All varieties have sweet  nuts superior to European chestnuts often available at grocery stores. Trees generally reach 35′-40′ so (10 to 12 m) high and should be spaced 20-40′ apart (6 to 12 m).  Production begins in 8-10 years from seedlings. Plant at least 2 different varieties for pollination. All of our varieties appear to be resistant to the chestnut blight fungus except out pure american chestnut.

Sorry, this item cannot be shipped to the United States due to restrictions by Agriculture Canada and USDA

New Haven, CT. 1960. A Chinese X Japanese X American hybrid. Consistent producer of med-large handsome nuts, about 40 per lb. Chestnuts love acid soil and should never be limed unless a severe deficiency of calcium is suspected.  Alkaline soils should probably be acidified to insure establishing transplants. Chestnuts show the most potential as annual nut producers of all the nut tree species. This is because their late flowering enables them to escape spring frosts and early fall maturing allows for annual crops. Nuts are contained in squirrel-proof burrs until they ripe and fall to the ground. All varieties have sweet  nuts superior to European chestnuts often available at grocery stores. Trees generally reach 35′-40′ so (10 to 12 m) high and should be spaced 20-40′ apart (6 to 12 m).  Production from seedlings begins in 8-10 years. Plant at least 2 different varieties for pollination. All of our varieties appear to be resistant to the chestnut blight fungus except out pure american chestnut.

Zone 5b
Szego: A complex hybrid bred by Mike Nave. Vigorous, fast growing, heavy bearer of XL nuts, cold-hardy and blight resistant. Received great reviews by Mike Gold of the Agroforestry Center of Missouri at the 2016 Chestnut Growers of American annual meeting. Very limited supply. Hardy to zone 5b

Szego chestnut tree is a cross of Chinese and European hybrid chestnut trees. The nuts from the Szego tree are on the large to very large size and fall free of the burr. The nut quality is very good and the texture makes it a fine eating chestnut. The production for the Szego appears to be on the lower end when compared to some of the highter nut producing cultivars. The tree should be blight resistant but it has not been tested. Szego is a good pollinator for any other chestnut trees blooming mid season. Cold tolerant to -25° F.
Origin: North America - California
Chestnut blight susceptible: Unknown
Bloom time: Mid season
Median female flowers per blooming branch: 3
Maximum female flowers per blooming branch: 5
Tree growth habit: Very fast growing with medium height
Harvest: Mid-Late season
Nut per lb: 22
Nuts per burr: Usually 3
Production: Good producer of large nuts falling free of the burr
Pellicle: Easy with occasional intrusion into the kernel
Split kernels: Few
Pollen: Excellen pollinator
Cold Hardy: -25F.

Chestnuts love acid soil and should never be limed unless a severe deficiency of calcium is suspected.  Alkaline soils should probably be acidified to insure establishing transplants. Chestnuts show the most potential as annual nut producers of all the nut tree species. This is because their late flowering enables them to escape spring frosts and early fall maturing allows for annual crops. Nuts are contained in squirrel-proof burrs until they ripe and fall to the ground. All varieties have sweet  nuts superior to European chestnuts often available at grocery stores. Trees generally reach 35′-40′ so (10 to 12 m) high and should be spaced 20-40′ apart (6 to 12 m).  Production from seedlings begins in 8-10 years. Plant at least 2 different varieties for pollination. All of our varieties appear to be resistant to the chestnut blight fungus except out pure american chestnut