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Chestnut

$9.00
sold out

No species has brought more attention and excitement to agroforestry than chestnuts. Unlike most nut bearing species, they produce a reliable annual crop due to late flowering. Also known as the ‘breadtree’ due to their high starch and carbohydrate content, they can be ground into flour to make breads, pastas, and pastries. They have been a staple food for centuries and can continue to be today. If we had to choose one agroforestry species to plant, it would be these.

1 -2 year old bare root chestnut seedlings. All chestnuts are from improved genetics. See below for more details about parent species. USDA hardiness zones 5-9. At least two trees are needed for pollination.

Parent Cultivar:

No species has brought more attention and excitement to agroforestry than chestnuts. Unlike most nut bearing species, they produce a reliable annual crop due to late flowering. Also known as the ‘breadtree’ due to their high starch and carbohydrate content, they can be ground into flour to make breads, pastas, and pastries. They have been a staple food for centuries and can continue to be today. If we had to choose one agroforestry species to plant, it would be these.

1 -2 year old bare root chestnut seedlings. All chestnuts are from improved genetics. See below for more details about parent species. USDA hardiness zones 5-9. At least two trees are needed for pollination.

Chestnut Seed Parents

  • Hartman - gathered at Lockwood Farm. Originally planted by Richard Jaynes - researcher and chestnut breeder at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Heavy producer of large, dark brown nuts.

  • Lockwood Orchard Mix - a mix of chestnut cultivars gathered at Lockwood Farm near New Haven, Connecticut

  • Stehli “Giddy Up” - Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollisima) - an outstanding seedling of ‘Gideon’. Chestnut guru Bob Stehli selected ‘Giddy Up’ from his orchard in Hiram, Ohio. A very healthy tree with consistent, heavy bearing nuts.

  • New Fav Lui - Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollisima) - a seedling of ‘Lui’. Lui was a seedling from the Nanjing Botanical Garden cultivar collection in China. A beautiful tree known for its red leaves, red stem, mixed red and green burrs. Aesthetically a very unique chestnut. A good producer with great tasting nuts. This one is a favorite by many nut growers.

  • Hudson Valley Orchard Mix - a mix harvested from Samascott Orchard in Kinderhook, New York. This 20+ year old orchard has both grafted and seedling trees from parents such as Gideon, Sleeping Giant, Peach, and Qing. Both hybrid and pure chinese genetics. A great mix for orchards.

  • Stehli HR12T2 “Liddington Seedling” - Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollisima) - another exceptional tree from chestnut breeder, Bob Stehli in Hiram Ohio. An early producer known for its consistency - consistent heavy annual producer of consistently sized nuts

  • Luvall’s Monster - hybrid chestnut ((C. crenata x C. dentata) x C. mollisima) - a very high yielding tree with notoriously huge nuts. Nuts have a great flavor and the pellicle comes off of the kernel easily. Grown and named after the late Verne Luvall in Galesburg, Illinois.