Chinese ChestnutCastanea mollissimaHeight: 50' average mature height Zones: 5-9 Find my zone Aspect: mostly sun to full sun Watering: needs occasional summer irrigation, about one deep watering cycle per month once established Maximum Water: tolerates occasional winter flooding but needs drier soil in the summer Habit: single stem or trunk Foliage: deciduous Growth Rate: fast
Size Availability
The Chinese Chestnut is a tough broadleaf tree that reliably produces delicious edible Chestnuts in late summer. Of all the Chestnut species,
C. mollissima
has the largest nut size with the thinnest shell casing, and superior flavor to all but the American Chestnut. Chinese Chestnut trees are extremely resistant to the Chestnut Blight that greatly affects the American and Japanese species. Chinese Chestnuts are more heat and drought tolerant than the others so is the best option for southern climates.
Sold out.
deep plug - $9.97 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future Chinese Chestnuts have a smaller stature than the American and European species and are much better sized for residential settings. The typical mature size is typically around 40 feet wide and 50 feet tall so trees should be around 40 feet apart. Chestnuts are not self pollinating so you will need two trees growing within 100 feet of each other for nut production. The foliage is also quite dense so the trees will cast dark shade. Nut production is far more regular than most nut species, with even production levels from year to year. The nuts are produced in spiny husks that open to drop 1-4 nuts towards the end of summer. The husks will drop to the ground so Chestnuts are not a good option for lawn areas with bare feet.
Chestnuts do not transplant well once they are deeply rooted so plant your trees in their permanent location the first time. We grow our trees in air pruning containers which maintains the juvenile nature of the root system, but once the trees are in the ground they quickly transition to a deep root structure.
Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut
Source: Commons
Castanea mollissima - Chinese Chestnut
Source: Commons
Packing Plants For ShippingWe pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media. Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)  Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes  Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes. Plant Sizes 3 gallon Dawn Redwood  Standard quart shrub  Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size  Standard deep plug pine tree Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their ContainersBamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.  1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed. Unpacking Bare Root PlantsYou will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top. A bundle of trees. What if I am not able to plant right away?You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture. |
Size Availability
Sold out.
deep plug - $9.97 each
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall.
Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.
Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out. Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future
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Red Panda Nursery