Hybrid Chestnut
 

Mature Size, Growth, Longevity

This American/Chinese Chestnut hybrid is a shorter, more-branched tree than the straight species American, getting about 40-60' tall. Growth rate is moderate. Trees often live 50 or more years.

Native Range

See each separate species for native habitat details.

Flower and Fruit Details

Flowers creamy white to pale yellow, monoecious, unpleasant odor. Male flowers erect, cylindrical catkins Female flowers 3/cluster on lower part of the upper staminate catkins, in 4-8" panicles in June. Some hybrid trees will start producing the brown, 1-2" edible nuts (inside the 3" prickly outer covering) just 3-5 years after planting; others take longer. Trees often grow 50 or more years, producing many heavy crops of large, sweet-tasting nuts.

Leaf and Bark Features

Deciduous: Fall color is yellow to bronze or golden-brown. Bark becomes furrowed with age, gray-brown.

Culture and Care

Zone 4-8. Needs full sun & acid soil. Avoid low, wet areas & soil compaction. Tolerates clay & drought. By cross-breeding the American Chestnut with the Chinese Chestnut, much disease resistance is provided to help avoid the fatal fungal chestnut blight. Susceptible to twig cankers, weevils and galls.

Strengths, Weaknesses, Other Facts

New hybrids w/ Chinese & Japanese Chestnuts show much promise for extended longevity of the American Chestnut, offering various levels of resistance to the chestnut blight fungus. Good wildlife value. 3-season interest: Spring, summer and fall. Hybrid chestnuts contain various percentages of American. Some hybrid back-crosses are more than 90% American in their genetics, yet they still have the disease resistance of the Chinese Chestnut. Contact the American Chestnut Foundation for more details.

Suggested Uses

Primarily planted for the sweet, edible nut production.

Taxa and Plants of this Species at BCA