Seguin Chestnut Seeds

currently not available Vigorous Growing-Immune to  Disease and Insects that Make Growing Chestnuts A Challenge

Seguin chestnut is a reliable fruiting chestnut with no weevil damage and high blight resistance. The dark brown small nuts are one of the sweetest I have tasted even fresh from the tree without drying down.  It fruits quick from seed in as little as 3 to 5 years after planting. The nuts ripen very early in southwestern Michigan often in early September.  Our seed seed sources show a more timber like growth habit. Not much is known about this plant in cultivation. The seeds are hard to get commercially and for us it is a race against the red squirrels who inhabit our orchards. We refurbished the area surrounding these trees and hope to protect them more closely.  

The origin of my two seed trees came from an arboretum planting. The seeds were labeled as hybrids with Chinese chestnut. The trees were planted in a wide open field at the time. Eventually the trees began fruiting heavy and the chestnut blight showed up. It did get onto the bark of the mature trees, but had little damage typical of Chinese chestnuts. The trees have a strong upright growth habit and have taken minus 25F at least once. 

The value of this cross is its high yields and delicious nuts. I think the flavor is distinctly different and less bland than others. But likely it can be grown more with a more robust and larger population to selection from as well as having a giant seedling population for its wood production. The natural resistance to disease and insects makes it worthwhile to expand on this plants potential as both a timber and food producing tree. This could be done with little breeding or experimentation and could easily be established now for future generations. Why wait?