Ken's Select American hybrid chestnuts have a very high percentage of American type characteristics with straight growth habit and strong central leader. Nuts are produced in 6-15 years from seedling. We use only parent seed trees showing the highest blight resistance that produce the fastest growing seedlings. Over the years we have collected seeds from a mix of healthy trees and have found that many of these seedlings from this group callus over wounds quickly making them essentially immune to the blight. Although we use this strain as the most timber like of our forms, we do not consider this to be a 'replica' of the American chestnut. We are more concerned about using this hybrid mix or swarm as a means of producing a timber like chestnut tree much like our hybrid oaks that could be produced using seeds not grafts. Plants are grown in screened greenhouses to prevent cross contamination as a safety precaution. Currently not available in seeds but working on it.
Plant Specs |
Genus & Species |
Castanea x dentata x hybrid |
Seed Source |
Ecos |
Hardiness |
-30 |
Height (ft) |
80 |
Width (ft) |
40 |
Pollination Requirements |
Self infertile. Need two for fruit set or another type of chestnut. |
Soil |
Sandy slight acidic soil ideal. |
Climate |
Zone 3-8. |
Ease of Cultivation |
Has to be one of the easiest trees to grow yet limited entirely on blight immunity. |