American Chestnut (Hybrid)
Castanea dentata
Blight-resistant breeding lines bring back the tree that once fed the Appalachians. Fragrant summer catkins, fall nuts for wildlife, fast growth.
Typically 1 quart–3 gal · $17–$85 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
You're not just planting a tree. you're participating in the restoration of a species that once defined eastern forests and the wildlife that depended on them.
Planting a hybrid American chestnut is one of the most meaningful things a landowner can do for forest restoration in the East. The straight species was functionally wiped out by chestnut blight in the early twentieth century, eliminating a tree that once produced three billion pounds of mast annually and fed bears, deer, turkeys, and people throughout the Appalachians. These blight-resistant breeding lines bring that back. Long catkins in summer are intensely fragrant: the scent is strong, almost musky-sweet, noticeable from a distance. Fall brings spiny husks and the glossy brown nuts inside, consumed quickly by wildlife. Growth is fast, form is majestic, and every chestnut planted represents a step toward reestablishing a tree that defined eastern forest ecology for millennia.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown american chestnut (hybrid) propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 40–60 ft · 30–40 ft wide
- USDA zones
- 4–8
- Family
- Fagaceae
- Native range
- Eastern North America
Care notes for american chestnut (hybrid).
Full sun, well-drained acidic to neutral soil. Avoid heavy clay and wet spots. Water during establishment. Minimal pruning except dead wood. Plant two or more for cross-pollination and nut production. Blight-resistant but not blight-immune. monitor for any cankers and consult the American Chestnut Foundation for management guidelines.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside american chestnut (hybrid).
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.