Ozark Chinquapin

[TX-Aggie]

From testing completed by the Ozark Chinqaupin Foundation, they are finding the Ozark Chinquapins have similar blight resistance as the Chinese Chestnuts (more information on the testing at their website). They can still get the blight, and you can lose trees. After completing the testing, the foundation "culls" the trees who did not show blight resistance comparable to Chinese Chestnuts. Much of the nuts they are sending out now are from the grow plots from the higher resistant groups. In addition, they are manually cross-pollinating the highest resistant trees with each other to see if that will improve the resistance.

I know our farm back in the 60s had a few of the trees left after the blight rolled through. My dad remembers eating nuts from a couple of "scrub brush/bush-like trees" that had what they referred to as hazelnuts growing. After he saw the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation nuts, he realized that the "hazelnuts" were actually Ozark Chinquapins. He showed my uncle the nuts, and now they are both super on board with propagating on our farm. My uncle even goes around during the dry periods, and waters the trees with the side x side.

 

[yoderjac]

From testing completed by the Ozark Chinqaupin Foundation, they are finding the Ozark Chinquapins have similar blight resistance as the Chinese Chestnuts (more information on the testing at their website). They can still get the blight, and you can lose trees. After completing the testing, the foundation "culls" the trees who did not show blight resistance comparable to Chinese Chestnuts. Much of the nuts they are sending out now are from the grow plots from the higher resistant groups. In addition, they are manually cross-pollinating the highest resistant trees with each other to see if that will improve the resistance.

I know our farm back in the 60s had a few of the trees left after the blight rolled through. My dad remembers eating nuts from a couple of "scrub brush/bush-like trees" that had what they referred to as hazelnuts growing. After he saw the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation nuts, he realized that the "hazelnuts" were actually Ozark Chinquapins. He showed my uncle the nuts, and now they are both super on board with propagating on our farm. My uncle even goes around during the dry periods, and waters the trees with the side x side.

That is good to know and very interesting. Most of my Allegheny Chinquapin trees take that bush like form verses a tree like form, but they produce lots of nuts. It sounds like OC's respond to blight similarly to AC's. They can pollinate other trees in the chestnut family and be pollinated by chestnuts. I don't think any tree in the chestnut family is self-fertile in the sense that a tree can not pollinate itself. So, if you clone trees by grafting you do need a pollinator, but any tree grown from seed can pollinate and be pollinated by any other tree.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[TX-Aggie]

By the way, the Ozark Chinquapin is more tree than bush. The blight reached the Ozarks sometime during the 50s, so my dad's memory of the "bush-like tree" was probably the regrowth after the blight knocked out the original tree.

We started planting them in 2019, so we are starting to build small groves around the farm. Our hope is that we can use these as our own "nut plots". We are actively working to remove cedars from the farm, and back filling those spaces with Ozark Chinquapins similar to oaks in a savanna setting.

We hope to see the first flowers and burrs this year, but with the sporadic growth cycles we may not get many nuts if any at all. Last years drought in the area really put a damper on the growth. We should have 2 of our first groves (5-6 trees each) reaching 5 years old in 2024 which is the time period that was expected to really start seeing nuts.

 

[yoderjac]

Apparently, ACs can take on both forms. On my place most are multi-stemmed bush-like, but that may be from blight or from fire many years ago. Native Hunter has ACs on his place that seem to be much more of a tree like form. I tend to find them on road and field edges where they get more light than under the pine canopy (I've got a pine farm).

I used to think that perhaps there is some difference between his trees and mine. Over time, I've come to the opinion that the bush-like form is due to dieback from something (blight, or other pathogen, or fire).

I think the differences between OC's and AC's is quite slight. From a wildlife perspective, I think they fill the same niche. One may be more adapted to certain environments and the other to other environments. They are all great trees for wildlife!

 

[letemgrow]

Started my Ozark Chinquapins last night, I received 13 from the foundation, 8 of which had started their roots, 2 haven’t started yet, 2 had mold growing, 1 was cracked. My father has a set as well and will be starting them at his house in two-three weeks. They will go in the ground in mid-April during Turkey Season at our farm.

I also had some leftover Concordia Oaks and tubes so I started them as well.

View attachment 24935


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The foundation must be flush with seeds now.

We used to get 3.

 

[TX-Aggie]

We typically get 5-6 now. I gifted my dad, my uncle, and my sister memberships; along with signing up myself. My dad has his and my uncle's - I started mine and my sister's membership nuts. I'm currently at 8 of 13 started growing, 3 put down roots but no top growth yet, 2 are "dead" nuts.

 

[letemgrow]

Hit me up this fall.

I may get another haul like this.

 

[RGrizzzz]

Hit me up this fall.

I may get another haul like this.

How many viable nuts did you get from that haul?

 

[letemgrow]

It was a pile. I sold a bunch of them last fall to people off various habitat sites to make up for the 6 hour round trip and donation made to the research center to get them.

Also kept quite a few to grow in tubs/trays at my house.


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