Before I order some American chestnuts... thoughts?

Chipdasqrrl

Active Member
So a local conservation district sells American chestnut trees with this claim:
"This tree, once a major component of eastern forests, is now found rarely in the wild due to the Chestnut Blight. The American Chestnut Council gathers nuts from still-healthy trees in Michigan that appear to be resistant to the blight. It is from these nuts that our seedlings are propagated."
Does anyone have experience with American chestnut trees that are claimed to be blight resistant? I'm likely buying 10 of them for $45.
 
I am 65 years old and want to see my trees bear nuts in my lifetime so I deal in chinese chestnuts. I do believe you can come out okay with 10 for $45 since you are located in Michigan.

If you were planting them east along the Appalachian range I would say NO.

I do believe the American Chestnut Foundation efforts will be rewarded in the next 8 to 15 years IMO.

I have shipped over 20,000 chinese chestnuts (52 to a flat rate box) in the last 4 years. I have them readily available and are blight resistant.

Good luck with your Americans. Merry Christmas.
 
I've planted quite a few over the past 10 years with only one tree that's had a blight canker without being topkilled, excluding the 2 that have shown their first cankers this year.

I don't regret planting them, but I have dunstan, henryi, and Chinese as backups.

I'm thinking the henryi trees have the best chance at making all American chestnut tree size. Not sure how far north they can grow however.

Plant some with the knowledge that none of them may never bear any chestnuts and if some do, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

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I am 65 years old and want to see my trees bear nuts in my lifetime so I deal in chinese chestnuts. I do believe you can come out okay with 10 for $45 since you are located in Michigan.
I’ve actually got a bunch of Chinese chestnuts from a neighborhood tree stratifying in the garden right now. I’ll have to read through your thread some more so I know what to do when spring comes.
Merry Christmas!
 
I've planted quite a few over the past 10 years with only one tree that's had a blight canker without being topkilled, excluding the 2 that have shown their first cankers this year.

I don't regret planting them, but I have dunstan, henryi, and Chinese as backups.

I'm thinking the henryi trees have the best chance at making all American chestnut tree size. Not sure how far north they can grow however.

Plant some with the knowledge that none of them may never bear any chestnuts and if some do, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

The idea of reviving the American Chestnut intrigues me which is why I want to plant some. It would be pretty neat to grow healthy mature American Chestnut trees after they were nearly wiped out.

Were your trees claimed to be blight resistant?
 
The idea of reviving the American Chestnut intrigues me which is why I want to plant some. It would be pretty neat to grow healthy mature American Chestnut trees after they were nearly wiped out.

Were your trees claimed to be blight resistant?
I got them from the ACCF mostly plus a few from Indiana Larry on ebay. I believe his came from Michigan.
This is the only decent sized one I've got so far. Planted from 2009 ACCF nuts.
f41ffdad3b3e20f0f40f1d2b8d54e463.jpg


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
I've planted quite a few over the past 10 years with only one tree that's had a blight canker without being topkilled, excluding the 2 that have shown their first cankers this year.

I don't regret planting them, but I have dunstan, henryi, and Chinese as backups.

I'm thinking the henryi trees have the best chance at making all American chestnut tree size. Not sure how far north they can grow however.

Plant some with the knowledge that none of them may ever bear any chestnuts and if some do, you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk
 
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