Chestnut (Castanea spp.)
Exposure: Full sun. Zone 4-8. Chestnut does well under hot, dry conditions.
Soil: Prefers acid well-drained loamy soil but might tolerate clay if well-drained (on a slope or ridge). Tolerates dry soil once established, but will produce larger nuts with irrigation. Chestnuts need better drainage than apples.
Growth habits: A large nut tree of rounded form with attractive leathery leaves averaging 40 feet tall and wide. The nuts are borne in clusters in a spiny husk.
Landscape uses: Plant chestnuts in groves or nut orchards or in large open landscapes as specimens or nut bearing timber trees, depending on variety. Prefers slopes and ridges. Not recommended for lowlands or high humidity areas.
Edible/Medicinal properties: The nuts are highly valued for drying, roasting, fresh eating, or grinding into highly nutritious chestnut flour. Good wildlife or livestock food.
Pollination: Need 2 trees for cross-pollination. Most named varieties are pollen sterile, meaning that they won't pollinate another tree.
$18/1 gal, $30/3 gal, $39.00/5 gal unless noted. (Not all varieties available in all sizes.)
Available varieties:
American hybrid – These seedlings come from an orchard of chestnut trees selected for their blight resistance. Each year the most disease-prone trees are removed and seeds are collected from the most vigorous and healthy. Height to 60 ft with 20-50‘ width. Hardy to -30 degrees F. $39/3 gal.
‘Bouche de Betizac’ – Vigorous, upright tree produces large crops of big nuts that taste good and peel well. A widely adapted tree, resistant to blight and phytopthora root rot and gall wasp. A European X Japanese selection from France. Pollen sterile. Ripens late, yet able to ripen in cooler climates.
Chinese seedlings – Seedling trees for Chinese chestnuts. Smaller, rounded tree. Blight resistant, fine quality, easy peeling, sweet nuts.
‘Colossal’ – Japanese x European hybrid. Parent tree produces exceptionally big nuts of good quality. Very productive. Early ripening, easy peeling, popular orchard variety. Has survived -28°F. Pollen sterile. Does best in warm summer climate regions. Reports of susceptibility to chestnut blight.
‘Connecticut Early’ - Probable cross of Allegheny Chinkapin with Chinese Chestnut. Nuts ripen very early.
‘Marrisard’ – Castenea crenata x Castenea sativa - Very large nuts, good flavor and peeling quality. Especially good in hot climates, where it produces nuts larger than Colossal. Pollen sterile, late ripening. Very disease resistant to blight and phytopthora.