Castanea spp.

Our chestnuts are selected for blight-resistance, productivity, size, taste, and nutritional value. They can be planted in a production orchard, for wildlife, or in your yard as a beautiful, edible tree. Our seedlings are primarily hybrids of Chinese, Japanese and American species (Castanea mollissima, C. crenata, C. dentata). Some seedlings are from known cultivars of select grafted chestnuts, as indicated in the descriptions below. We source seed from Rt. 9 Cooperative, Red Fern Farm, and The Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center (HARC). Some seedlings are from known cultivars of select grafted chestnuts, and some only have a single source. The source and characteristics of the hybrid mixes and cultivar parents are detailed below.

It is recommended to plant at least two chestnut trees to ensure pollination.

• Blondie (Red Fern Farm): Luvall’s Monster seedling, produces extra-large, attractive nuts of a light brown color, unique to Red Fern Farm.
• Chateau Rouge (Red Fern Farm): Seedling of Gideon, sibling of Iowa Golden, had a normal nut crop in 2020 following a late frost that ruined the crop on other trees.
• Empire Elite Mix (Rt. 9): Seedlings from a mix of productive and vigorous grafted cultivars of Chinese chestnuts (C. mollissima) and Chinese-type hybrids.
• Gideon: From a 1972 planting of C. mollissima seedlings in Ohio. Gideon is known for a consistent yield of medium to large, easy-to-peel uniform nuts, as well as the superiority of its offspring. It is noted for its cold-hardiness.
• HARC Mix (UMCA): A mix of seedlings from the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, including AU Homestead, Hong Kong, Kohr, Payne, Perry, and Willamette.
• Iowa Golden (Red Fern Farm): Seedling of Gideon. In 2020, most trees in the Red Fern planting had no crop due to a late frost, but Iowa Golden had a normal crop of nuts.
• Kaqing (Red Fern Farm): A 30+ year-old Chinese tree that reliably bears large nuts; named by Tom Wahl after the sound of an imaginary cash register collecting payment for the nuts.
• Qing (Red Fern Farm): Qing (pronounced “ching”) is a cold-hardy Chinese (C. mollissima) highly-productive cultivar with extra large, sweet, flavorful nuts that fall early to mid-season and are shiny and dark brown. Nuts store well.
• Qingsu (Red Fern Farm): A seedling of Qing x Auburn Super with heavy production of large to extra-large nuts.
• Red Fern Farm Mix (Red Fern Farm): From grower Tom Wahl’s orchard of chestnuts selected for consistent, high-quality, productive trees. Red Fern Farm is one of the top chestnut orchards in the midwest with some of the best-performing trees.
• Red Fern Super (Red Fern Farm): A cultivar with large, blocky nuts.
• Scott (Red Fern Farm): A pure Chinese (C. mollissima) cultivar. A reliably high producer with large dark mahogany nuts.
• Sleeping Giant: Selected by Dick Jaynes in Connecticut, Sleeping Giant is a good quality cultivar that is early-ripening and bears large nuts consistently year to year.
• Stehli Mix (Rt. 9): Grown and selected by Bob Stehli in Ohio over the past 30 years, seedlings from the Stehli mix include seed from grafted cultivars of Chinese chestnuts.

Zone: 4-8 (Map)
Habitat: Ideally grown in slightly acidic well-drained soils. Will not tolerate high water table environments. Full sun.
Growth: 50 ft tall, 30 ft wide at maturity.

Prohibited: CA, FL, OR, UT, WA