Cultivars – Chestnut Improvement Network

Yixian Orange

‘Yixian Orange’ (C. mollissima) is also a selection made in 1993 by M. Nave. The seedling originated from a seedlot of small nuts from Yixian, Anhui Province, China (a different source than that of ‘Yixian Large Nut’) (Nave, 2017).

Yixian Good Flavor

‘Yixian Good Flavor’ (C. mollissima), also referred to as ‘YGF’, originated from a seedlot from the region of Yixian, China, in the southern tip of Anhui Province. The tree grows upright, and the nuts drop over the course of

Willamette

‘Willamette’ (C. mollissima) is another OP offspring selected from among the widely available Dunstan population. The population is derived from a putative and lost C. dentata tree (described as blight-resistant) and three C. mollissima cultivars ‘Nanking’, ‘Kuling’, and ‘Meiling’

WC

‘WC’ (C. mollissima × C. pumila) is named after W. C. Donoho of Louisville, KY, a member of the Kentucky Nut Growers Association. The tree is possibly a sibling of ‘Qing’. Its large, dark nuts resemble those of ‘Qing’

Vancouver

‘Vancouver’ (C. mollissima) is an early selection of M. Nave’s grown from a seed that originated in Vancouver, Canada. The tree is still young, but its large, flavorful chestnuts make it stand out. Ramets have been incorporated in the

Szego

‘Szego’ ([C. crenata × C. pumila] × C. mollissima hybrid) is an OP seedling of the California hybrid ‘Linden’ (C. crenata × C. pumila), and the Dunstan hybrid ‘Revival’ is speculated to be the pollen parent. The cultivar, named

Simpson

‘Simpson’ (C. mollissima × C. sativa) is a cultivar with a moderate nut size. Its flavor is not remarkable and is lesser than that of the Gellatly hybrids. Many of the larger nuts have multiple embryos, which is problematic

Shing

‘Shing’ (C. mollissima) is a seedling selected from Yixian, China, and originated from the same seed lots as ‘Yixian Large Nut’. It is a very vigorous tree and a precocious but variable producer. The nuts are small but very

Schlarbaum

‘Schlarbaum’ (C. crenata × C. mollissima) is a M. Nave selection. The tree is tall, slender, and drops nuts mid-season. During the late 1990s or early 2000, Dr. Schlarbaum of the University of Tennessee grafted Japanese chestnut trees at

Qing

‘Qing’ (C. mollissima) was discovered as a yard tree in Hickory, Kentucky, where it was planted sometime between the late 1950s and early 1960s. Its origin is unknown, but it may have originated from trees distributed by the Tennessee

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Portfolio Categories: Cultivars

Yixian Orange

Yixian Good Flavor

Willamette

WC

Vancouver

Szego

Simpson

Shing

Schlarbaum

Qing

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