Castanea x mollissima – Hybrid Chestnut

General Information: Tall, robust, multiple or single-stemmed, quick-growing trees reaching 50′ or more at maturity. Watch out for the spiny burrs! In fall the leaves turn brilliantly yellow before fading to brown, and they often remain on the tree well into the winter. Our Chestnuts are grown from stock that includes Chinese Chestnut and other hybrid Asian Chestnuts, thus are often Asian species hybrids. There is diversity among the genetics of our Chestnut hybrids as they are grown from seed derived from mature hybrid trees. There are some American Chestnuts in the vicinity of our hybrid trees that occasionally reach flowering stage. The saplings we offer may be truer to Castanea mollissima, or have mixed traits of other species. The exact parentage of our trees is unknown. The hybrids themselves have a complex history, and the nearby American Chestnuts do not always flower. When they do, it isn’t certain whether or not they have pollinated our stock hybrid trees. Nonetheless, the Chestnut trees we offer are blight resistant and produce delicious fruits. Chestnut is among the best pollinator trees for New England and other Eastern states. They produce malodorous, long, skinny flowers (known as catkins) from Jun-Aug. It is common during flowering to hear intense buzzing in the canopies of these trees. Pollinators include bees, wasps, flies, moths, and butterflies. Vernal pools with Chestnut leaves in them are known to greatly improve the survival rate of amphibians. Until the Chestnut Blight arrived in the early 1900’s, American Chestnuts were a staple food all throughout their native range. These resistant trees enable us to experience some of that history in the present day!

Edible Qualities: From Sept-Oct, mature nuts emerge from spiny burrs. Each burr contains 1-3 nuts. Nuts are incredibly sweet, with a slight floral scent and flavor, and excellent crispness. They are easily peeled raw, can be eaten raw or cooked, and store well over winter.

Cultivation Details: Requires 2 plants for cross-pollination. Will produce nuts 4-6 years after planting. Produces up to 20 lb of nuts per tree per season. Grows  2’+ per year until max height is reached. For optimal results, apply organic mulch after planting, especially in fall or early spring. If planted in late spring or summer, keep well watered in addition to mulching. The trees do not require regular pruning. The nuts are irresistible to squirrels, chipmunks, and other rodents, so these trees should not be planted immediately near homes, garages, barns, or other structures. Our experience on the farm, with Chestnut trees immediately next to a shed and a house, is that they give rodents more than enough reason to infiltrate our spaces! An excellent choice for startup farms, rewilding, and food forests. Consider planting these trees in areas where their scent (which fills the air in June), catkins (which drop in early July), and burrs (which drop in September and October) will not be troublesome.

Growing Requirements: Plant in full sun to partial shade. Tolerant of sandy, loamy, or clay soils. Prefers well-drained soils. Suitable for planting in nutrient-poor soils. Tolerates drought once established. Prefers mildly acidic to neutral soils; does not tolerate alkaline soils.