Chestnut – Bare Root

WE *DO* SHIP BARE ROOT PLANTS - Bare root plants are shipped on Mondays from March through June or picked up in Champaign, IL (select shipping vs. pickup at checkout).

Bare root plants must be ordered in multiples of 25. Bare root chestnuts are 12-24″ or 24"+. Bare root plants are cheaper than potted plants, but for some growers, potted plants are easier to establish if you are new to planting trees.

We inoculate our seeds with mycorrhizal fungi when planting to ensure the bareroot trees you receive have the best chance to thrive at any planting site.

Suited for USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: See tab “Chestnut Family Descriptions” above for family-specific data. Prices vary by seed source.

For more background on chestnuts and growing information for most of the Eastern U.S. check out the Iowa Chestnut Primer written by Tom Wahl Here.

Will it thrive?

Stop! Before you buy these trees....are you sure they will thrive in your soil and climate? To be sure, you should prepare a Compass Report for your farm at CanopyCompass.com. The chestnut suitability maps at Canopy Compass are generic to all chestnuts. To learn more about the hardiness traits of specific chestnut genetics, please refer to the "Chestnut Family Descriptions" tab above.

Chestnut Family Descriptions

Farm Family Mixes

Farm Family Mixes are collections of seedlings from multiple top-performing mother trees from specific farms, this ensures that you have genetic diversity in the bundle you receive. These mixes are a great place to start for most growers.

Empire Elite

Origin: Seedlings from top-performing trees at Empire Chestnut Company (Route 9) in Carrollton, OH. Mother Trees: H15/17 - The only remaining tree from trees that my dad planted in the 1960's.  It is a consistent bearer of med-large nuts that ripen early.  It is now surrounded by grafted trees of good cultivars, so the potential fathers are good ones too. A5 -  Myoka seedling.  It looks to be a Chinese/European hybrid. It is 70 ft tall with a good timber form.  The nuts are medium size with essentially Chinese quality. 65-11 - mixture of seeds from two trees that are siblings.  The mother was Byron 4-2 (from Jerry Payne's planting in Byron, GA). They leaf out late, bear large crops of large nuts, and ripen late.  They have done well through late spring frost and drought.
Nut Qualities: Known for producing both flavorful and high-quality nuts, suitable for various uses.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b, these seedlings are selected for reliable nut production and adaptability in cooler climates.
Special Notes: Empire Elite seedlings come from a well-respected source known for their superior chestnut genetics. They planted their first chestnut trees in 1972.

Iowa Invincible

Origin: Seedlings from top-performing trees at Red Fern Farm in Wapello, IA. Mother Trees: AB+, Apex, Arbor Laede, Arthur Radley, Asp, Atticus, Blonde, Dax, Gandalf, Gary, Iowa Golden, Jem, Jerry, Joe, Kaching, Ken, Mark, Mike, Phil, Red Fern Super, Scott, Scout, Terminus, Tree Beard, tucker, Victor
Nut Qualities: High-quality nuts that will have some variability in size and flavor characteristics because of their genetic diversity.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b, these seedlings are selected for reliable nut production and genetic diversity
Special Notes: Red Fern Farm is one of the coldest and oldest Chestnuts orchards, they have been able to select for trees that can handle harsh conditions.

Ohio Outstanding

Origin: Seedlings from top-performing trees from the Wintergreen Chestnut Company in Mantua, OH. Mother Trees: AVSE 14-43, AVSE 12-33, AVSW-2-476, AVSE 37-69, HR 11-72, AVSE 40-22, AVSW 1-756, AVNW-54-AP, HR 7T-9, AVSW 28-875
Nut Qualities: Optimized through selective breeding to produce culinary nuts with the highest possible flavor and nutrition.
Tree Characteristics: Highly blight resistant. Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b.
Special Notes: Wintergreen’s genetic diversity includes genes from American, Chinese, European, and Japanese chestnuts. They planted their first chestnuts in 1992 and the core of their breeding program came from selecting 350 of the best trees out of 4424 total trees.

PQ F1 Mix

Origin: A block of seedlings from full-sibling crosses between ‘Peach’ and ‘Qing.’
Nut Qualities: Produces large, high-quality nuts, with some seedlings outperforming their parents.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b, with less genetic diversity than other mixes.
Special Notes: PQ F1 mix offers seedlings with complementary characteristics from two top-performing parent trees, ideal for those seeking consistent nut production.

Chinese Chestnut Half-sibs

Half-sibs are trees grown from seed that all comes from a known mother tree that was pollenated by any number of and unknown pollen parents. The cultivar names listed below refer to the mother tree. Our Top 5 Recommendations for Most Growers are Listed Directly Below:

Qing

Origin: Seedlings from the renowned Qing tree, the current standard all other trees are compared against. Named by Mike Nave. The original tree is of unknown origin and is growing in Hickory, Kentucky.
Nut Qualities: Extra-large nuts (~20-25g/nut) with an exceptionally sweet flavor. Shiny, dark brown, and stored well even among Chinese varieties.
Tree Characteristics: A heavy producer, this tree focuses more on nut production than vegetative growth, contributing to its smaller size. Cold hardy to at least Zone 5a.
Special Notes: Qing nuts are sweeter than many small Chinese chestnuts and fall in early to mid-season. The tree was planted in the late 1950s or early 1960s.

Amy

Origin: Seedlings from the Amy tree, selected by Greg Miller from C. mollissima seedlings in Ohio.
Nut Qualities: Produces high-quality, large to extra-large nuts that are easy to peel and have great flavor.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b and a reliable, heavy producer.
Special Notes: Amy seedlings are fast-growing, productive trees that perform well as a companion to other chestnut varieties like Qing.

Gideon

Origin: Seedlings from the Gideon tree, selected by Greg Miller from C. mollissima seedlings in Ohio.
Nut Qualities: Produces large to extra-large, easy-to-peel nuts that are high in quality and flavor.
Tree Characteristics: Fast-growing and cold hardy to at least Zone 5b. Known for being a regular, heavy bearer of chestnuts.
Special Notes: Gideon is an excellent parent tree and pairs well with Qing for pollination. It is particularly fast-growing in Iowa.

Auburn Super (AU-Super)

Origin: Seedlings from the Auburn Super tree, released by Auburn University.
Nut Qualities: Known for producing among the largest nuts among commercial Chinese chestnut cultivars. Nut quality is good, although trees may occasionally overbear, leading to smaller nuts.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b, these trees are strong and vigorous growers, producing extra-large nuts.
Special Notes: Auburn Super is an excellent choice for growers seeking maximum nut size and commercial viability.

Peach

Origin: Seedlings from the Peach tree, selected by Greg Miller from C. mollissima seedlings in Ohio.
Nut Qualities: Produces extra-large, easy-to-peel nuts that are slightly fuzzy, like a peach. The tree is known for consistent, reliable nut production without overbearing.
Tree Characteristics: Peach trees are resilient and consistent producers, with cold hardiness to at least Zone 5b.
Special Notes: Peach is a highly regarded variety for its consistently large nuts and reliable yield.

Other Great Half-Sibs:

Resilient

Origin: Seedlings from a top-performing tree at Red Fern Farm, Iowa.
Nut Qualities: Produces medium to extra-large nuts that are reliable in both size and quality.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b, and known for withstanding difficult growing conditions. Exceptionally resilient after harsh winters.
Special Notes: Resilient is one of the few trees at Red Fern Farm to bear a normal crop in 2019 after an exceptionally cold and wet winter and spring.

Shotgun

Origin: A selection by Tom and Kathy Wahl at Red Fern Farm in Iowa.
Nut Qualities: Large nuts, but is prone to occasional overbearing.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b.
Special Notes: Shotgun seedlings are reliable producers with strong performance in colder climates.

Hybrid Chestnut Half-Sibs

Hybrid Chestnuts tend to be more viable in terms of growth form, blight resistance, production, and nut qualities. The best seedlings have the potential to combine the best aspects from American, Chinese, European, and Japanese genetics.

ACE

Origin: A male-sterile complex hybrid derived from American, Chinese, and European genetics.
Nut Qualities: High-quality, easy-peeling nuts with good flavor.
Tree Characteristics: Cold hardy, blight-resistant, and marroni-type growth with heavy crop loads. Cold hardy to at least Zone 5b.
Special Notes: ACE combines the best characteristics of European and Chinese chestnuts, making it an excellent option for growers looking for a resilient, high-quality chestnut tree.

Growing Information

Instructions for Bare-root Chestnuts

When Your Chestnut Trees Arrive

• Plant bare-root trees before they break dormancy (buds begin to swell or open). 

• Your trees will arrive wrapped in a plastic liner with the roots kept damp with moist sawdust. 

• Keeping trees cool before planting is essential. 40-50 degrees is a good target. 

• If you cannot plant them within a week or keep them cool, temporarily plant the bundle of trees in a bucket and cover it with a medium such as peat moss. 

Site Preparation

• Chestnuts require slightly acidic soil but tolerate dryer, sandier soil than many other trees. 

• If planting into existing sod, make sure you kill any tall fescue, orchard grass, brome, or alfalfa within a few feet of the planting area. 

• A 3% or higher concentration of Roundup will work if applied in the morning of a warm sunny day (70F or higher if possible).  

• Re-seed the area with a turf-type mix of perennial ryegrass and fine-leaved fescue such as creeping red fescue, hard fescue, Chewings fescue, and medium Dutch white clover.

• For broadcast seedings, seed each grass at 10# per acre and clover at 1-2# per acre. 

• Space chestnuts at 20’ X 20’ - that is, 20’ apart within rows and rows at 20’ apart.  This will amount to just over 100 trees per acre.

• Lay out and flag the field beforehand, using different colored flags for alternate rows.  A square grid will be easier to mow in future years.

Planting

• Keep trees in the shade always, and keep the roots covered and moist.

• Take just a few trees at a time out of the bag and put them in a five-gallon bucket with enough water to cover the roots. Note: This is only at the planting time; do not leave the roots soaking/fully submerged for an extended period.

• Dig a hole that accommodates the root system without crowding, folding, or bending roots around the sides of the hole.  

• Prune off stringy, dangling roots that hang too far below the root mass. Hold the tree with one hand and backfill with the other as you plant.  Hold the tree with the root crown exactly even with the soil line.  The root crown/crown is the point at which the rusty bark color on the roots changes to the olive green color on the trunk.  

• You must not succumb to the temptation to plant the tree “just a little bit deeper.”  Planting any part of the trunk below the soil line will kill the tree.  

• Firm the soil around the tree first with your hand, then your toes—not your heel.

After Planting 

• If you have deer or rabbits in the area, apply a 5’ tall vented tree shelter and stakes (available at Canopy Nursery).

• A tree shelter is a very good idea, even if you don’t have any varmints to worry about, as it will help the tree become established and bear nuts sooner than it would without a shelter. 

• Tree shelters will also save a great deal of pruning labor. Put tree shelters on the trees as soon as possible after planting.

• Water the trees the first year, any time you go more than a week or two without at least an inch of rain. 

• Weed control is very important. Only a trained professional should apply chemicals. Your local NRCS office should have an up-to-date list of licensed applicators.

• Using weed mats or landscape fabric cut into 3x3 foot squares is an excellent alternative to chemicals. 

• Use 6” turf staples to secure the corners and edges of the weed barrier.

• Keep the grass between the trees short, especially while shelters are on the trees.  Tall grass/weeds use a lot of moisture and provide a habitat for mice.  Mice nesting inside tree shelters almost always girdle the trees, which will kill them.

We recognize these factors may be overwhelming, but we are here to offer support and assistance on your tree-planting journey! Please schedule a call if any of these instructions need clarification or if you have any questions or concerns.