Chestnut

[Colin Giersberg]

While measuring up a highway project for next year, I stopped at an abandoned home place. There was a nice pecan tree there, so I picked several nuts frpm the tree and ground. Then the owner showed up. Turns out, she is a very nice lady. She told us to help ourselves to all of the pecans that we wanted. While talking to her, I asked her about all of the prickly balls on the ground and she told me that they were chestnuts. Well, I believe I have seen the nuts before (a long time ago), but I had never seen the husk. Anyway, I picked up several chestnuts, and I want to scatter them around our hunting land, along with the pecans. Is there any advice as to how to plant them so that they will grow, or do you just scatter them on top of the ground, like Mother Nature does.
The chestnut trees (there were two of them) weren't very tall, and look like they never will get that tall. Both looked rather gnarly, and were around twenty feet tall. Now, if I can get them to grow, I will be happy.

Regards, Colin

[Doug Shepard]

There are a few in our neighborhood and you often see squirrels carrying them, so I suspect they do well just barely buried like a squirrel would stash them. They're quite a bit bigger than 20 ft though. I dont know if they get taller, but 40-50 ft seems to be about average for most I've seen. We used to gather them up after the husks had split open and have neighbor wars with them when I was a kid, with little armies forming, football helmets, and trash can lid shields, etc. Dont recall ever eating any though or if they tasted good if we did.

[Pete Bradley]

After 60000 years in North America, the American Chestnut was attacked by an imported fungus in the 1930s. It still exists, but only as sprouts and small trees off historic root systems.

Most likely what you have are nuts from a far eastern or European species.

Pete

[Alan See]

As others have mentioned, the American Chestnut has all but disappeared due to a blight. There is a close relative that grows in your area called the Chinkapin. http://www.acf.org/Tree_ID/ckapin.php
another possibility is an imported European tree related to out Buckeyes, called the Horse Chestnut. http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=189
The leaf shape is a quick way to tell them apart. Chinkapin nuts are yummy :). Horse Chestnuts are toxic :eek:

[Lee Hingle]

Colin,
sounds like chinese chestnut trees - I have a pair in my yard that I planted about 6-8 years ago. These do not get anywhere near the size of a standard chestnut.
And no need for special planting - they will come up on their own.

Lee

[Colin Giersberg]

Thanks for the replies. From the link that Alan posted, they appear to be the Chinkapin.

Regards, Colin

[Doug Shepard]

...
another possibility is an imported European tree related to out Buckeyes, called the Horse Chestnut. http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=189
...

Yup - Horse Chestnuts are the one's we've got around here. Thanks for the link.