Hardy Edibles

Fagaceae

Chinese chestnut

Castanea mollissima

Chinese chestnut

Photo: Richard Webb, Self-employed horticulurist, Bugwood.org — CC BY 3.0 us · source

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Survives zone 4 through 8

Sweet chestnut excellent roasted; ⚠ acorns must be leached of tannins.

Hardiness
Zone 4 to 8
Habit
Tree
Edible part
Nut
Ripens
Sept–Oct
Mature size
Large tree — NOT containerable
Light
Full sun — nut crops need sun
Soil pH
Castanea 4.5–6.5 — ⚠ LIME-INTOLERANT (calcifuge, unlike other nut trees). Quercus/Fagus 5.0–6.5
Environment
Temperate
Status
Cultivated
Years to fruit
3–5 yrs grafted
Pollination
⚠ SELF-INCOMPATIBLE — needs TWO trees; a lone tree bears little or nothing