Knowledge Builders

what is a dunstan chestnut tree

by Leola Beahan Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

Dunstan Chestnut™ seedling trees are the best and most widely planted chestnut trees in America – they combine the excellent nut quality and tree form with blight resistance. Dunstan chestnut trees have been grown successfully from Maine and New York, west to Illinois and Wisconsin, and south to east Texas and Florida.

Full Answer

How fast do Dunstan chestnuts grow?

Dunstan Chestnuts grow quickly and bear nuts in only 3 to 5 years, much sooner than oaks that take 10 to 20 years. Simply so, how fast do chestnut trees grow? The American chestnut tree has a moderate growth rate, generally growing 2 to 3 feet per season.

How long for chestnut trees to produce?

  • American Chestnut Tree: 3-5 years to produce nuts
  • European Chestnut Tree: 15 years to produce nuts
  • Chinese Chestnut Tree: Less than 10 years to produce nuts

What can you tell me about the Dunstan chestnut?

Dunstan is 2/3 American and 1/3 Chinese chestnut. The flavor is close to our native American Chestnut. The trees are large growers, up to 35 feet. Makes an excellent shade tree. These are seedling trees and will begin bearing nuts in three to five years. Needs Another Chestnut Tree for Cross-Pollination. Nuts ripen in late September.

How do you plant a chestnut tree?

Planting

  • Space your chestnut trees 35’ to 40’ apart.
  • Dig a hole wide and deep enough to accommodate the root system.
  • Wet the roots thoroughly before planting.
  • Many nut trees have just one main root, almost like a giant skinny carrot. ...
  • Spread the roots out in the hole to prevent matting. ...
  • Plant at the same depth as they were grown at the nursery. ...

More items...

See more

image

Are Dunstan chestnuts good to eat?

Dunstan Chestnut seedlings produce heavy yearly crops of very large and sweet-tasting nuts. The nuts average 15-35 nuts per pound, as compared to Chinese nuts (35-100 per pound) and American nuts (75-150 per pound). They are much better tasting than imported European nuts and are never bland or bitter.

How fast does a Dunstan chestnut tree grow?

Dunstan Chestnuts are the perfect food plot tree. This hardy, fast-growing tree has a vast growing range that stretches from Florida to Wisconsin. Chestnuts bear nuts in 3–5 years, compared to 10–20 years for oaks, and can produce up to 2,000 pounds per acre at maturity.

Are Dunstan chestnuts American chestnuts?

There is no true “Dunstan” tree. The ones that are sold as “Dunstan” came from seeds collected in a small plot of Chinese chestnuts that surrounded a supposedly blight-resistant American chestnut.

Can you plant Dunstan chestnuts?

0:175:54How To Plant Dunstan Chestnuts Trees | Dormant Season ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOnce they go dormant they'll be just fine and come back hard in the spring. Fall is actually a greatMoreOnce they go dormant they'll be just fine and come back hard in the spring. Fall is actually a great time to plant most people think of spring when they think of planting.

How tall do Dunstan chestnuts get?

40 - 60'For more information see the Ordering & Shipping section below.Height40 - 60'Soil pH5.5 - 6.5Light RequirementsFull sunPollinationRequires Pollinator. Plant a minimum of 2 Dunstans, we recommend 3 or more for best pollination and mast production. Ideal spacing for nut production is between 30-40' apart.7 more rows

Do deer like Dunstan chestnuts?

Realizing they had discovered an ideal plant for deer hunters to use in establishing food lots, Realtree Nursery was established and became the exclusive producer of Dunstan Chestnuts. Chestnuts offer deer a healthy source of food during the fall. Due to their flavor, they are a favorite wildlife food.

What is the best tasting chestnut?

Pollen producer - large chestnut from Italy - Many sources discussing various chestnut cultivars mention Marrone di Marradi as one of the best chestnuts. Its superior flavor, sweetness, and easy pealing are its best attributes.

How long does it take for a chestnut tree to bear fruit?

3-5 yearsThey begin to bear in only 3-5 years, and by 10 years can produce as much as 10-20 lbs/tree. At maturity (15-20 years) they can produce as much as 50-100 lbs/tree or up to 2,000-3,000 lbs/acre each year. (Trees planted in colder regions such as USDA zone 5, may bear between 5 and 7 years of age.)

Will deer eat chestnut trees?

Chestnuts tend to ripen very early for a nut crop. They begin as early as late August in the Deep South and even in the North they are usually all finished up by the middle of October, well before most deer seasons. Chestnuts are very attractive to deer, but only for about one month out of the year.

Do you need two chestnut trees to produce fruit?

Make sure you have enough space for at least two giant trees before committing to grow chestnuts. You'll also need to plan to have at least two chestnut trees planted within ~100 feet of each other (or less). This ensures that your chestnuts will be able to cross-pollinate in order to produce nuts.

How long do chestnut trees live?

800 years“Chestnuts can live 800 years or more,” Porter said. “They're a fabulous tree.” Carol Porter in her Sweet Home, Ore. chestnut orchard.

What type of chestnut trees Do deer like?

While a lot of effort is being put into bringing back a blight-resistant American chestnut, there is one similar tree that is easily managed and begins to produce nuts that deer love in about its fourth year of growth; it's the Chinese chestnut (Castenea mollissima).

How fast does a chestnut tree grow?

The trees will grow faster, however, with about 30 percent shade. Under these conditions, chestnuts can grow four to seven feet per year—about twice as much as those in full sun.

How long does it take a chestnut tree to produce?

Chestnuts can be a very profitable crop. They begin to bear in only 3-5 years, and by 10 years can produce as much as 10-20 lbs/tree. At maturity (15-20 years) they can produce as much as 50-100 lbs/tree or up to 2,000-3,000 lbs/acre each year.

What is the best chestnut tree for deer?

While a lot of effort is being put into bringing back a blight-resistant American chestnut, there is one similar tree that is easily managed and begins to produce nuts that deer love in about its fourth year of growth; it's the Chinese chestnut (Castenea mollissima).

Are chestnut trees messy?

Many Aesculus varieties are commonly grown and highly desirable for their showy red flowers and large interesting fruits, commonly referred to as nuts. However it is important to be aware that many consider these trees to be very messy, causing troublesome litter on the lawn.

How old do Dunstan chestnut trees bear?

Dunstan Chestnut™ begin to bear at only 3-5 years of age of the tree, care and climate they receive. Trees planted in colder regions such as USDA zone 5, may bear between 5-7 years of age. The best location is a south slope, with good air and water drainage – avoid frost pockets.

Does Chestnut Hill have mail order trees?

At Chestnut Hill Outdoors, we’ve been shipping mail order trees for over 30 years. We’re experts at delivering healthy trees to your doorstep. All of our trees are container grown in root-enhancing pots, ensuring healthy root systems and much better success upon planting.

What is a chestnut tree?

Chestnut trees are true American classics. In the early 1900's chestnut trees were the most important species of tree for food and timber in the Eastern hardwood forests. In 1904 a bark fungus was introduced from the Orient that killed 30 million acres of chestnut trees in 40 short years. In the early 1950's a man in Ohio discovered one Chestnut ...

How long does it take for a Dunstan chestnut tree to produce nuts?

Dunstan Chestnuts will start producing nuts in only 3 short years after planting. For a great shade tree that bears delicious edible nuts and doesn't even bat an eye at disease, you can't go wrong with The Dunstan Chestnut. Huge, Sweet, Edible Nuts. Heavy Crop Production. Blight Resistant.

Can you go wrong with Dunstan chestnuts?

For a great shade tree that bears delicious edible nuts and doesn't even bat an eye at disease, you can't go wrong with The Dunstan Chestnut.

How old do Dunstan chestnuts need to be to grow?

Dunstan Chestnuts™ can produce nuts in only 3-5 years of age depending on care and climate. Trees planted in colder regions such as USDA zone 5, may bear between 5-7 years of age. The best location is a south slope, with good air and water drainage – avoid frost pockets. A sheltered north-facing slope protected from drying winds and low sun of winter may be better for cold windy sites.. They produce heavy annual crops (never skipping a year like oaks) of very large, sweet tasting (no tannin) nuts that average 20-35/lb in size, and can produce 20 lbs/tree after only 10 years, and as much as 50-100 lbs/tree at maturity. They are easy to grow and thrive in a variety of locations. Cold hardy to USDA plant zones 5-9

How old do trees need to be to grow in Zone 5?

Trees planted in colder regions such as USDA zone 5, may bear between 5-7 years of age. The best location is a south slope, with good air and water drainage – avoid frost pockets. A sheltered north-facing slope protected from drying winds and low sun of winter may be better for cold windy sites..

Does Chestnut Hill have mail order trees?

At Chestnut Hill Outdoors, we’ve been shipping mail order trees for over 30 years. We’re experts at delivering healthy trees to your doorstep. All of our trees are container grown in root-enhancing pots, ensuring healthy root systems and much better success upon planting.

What is a hybrid chestnut?

Hybrid Chestnuts, similar to the Dunstan Chestnuts, provide the nutrients the deer need to become trophies. The Chestnut Trees produce a sweet nut the deer can not pass up. You can bet the deer herd will be back time and time again where ever you plant a Hybrid Chestnut Tree. Tree Pro has a collection of hybrid chestnuts ...

How long does it take for a deer to produce chestnuts?

The chestnuts are a sweet bite size nut the deer can’t resist. They should start producing nuts in 3-5 years. A comparison between the Gobbler Chestnut and Hybrid chestnut size. The Gobbler Chestnut Seeds on the left and hybrid chestnut seed on the right.

What is the best nut for turkeys?

Gobbler Chestnut. The Gobbler Chestnut was developed similiar to the Dunstan as well, but with a dime to nickle size nut that is perfect for the turkey as well as deer. The turkey will come from miles away to get a taste of the seed. These will begin to drop their seed in September into October.

When does turkey drop nut?

Small nut for turkey, starts to drop in late September carries over into October. USDA Zones 4-9

Best Time to Plant Dunstan Chestnut Trees

There are two considerations you need to examine when determining the best time to plant a Dunstan Chestnut tree. The first is what time of year, and the other is how old should the tree be if you are transplanting it.

Tips for planting Dunston Chestnut trees

All you need to do is make sure the roots stay moist and get a good start with at least six hours of sunlight per day. The more sun, the better they’ll grow. In cooler parts of the country, particularly coastal areas, it may be necessary to protect your plants from frost in late winter.

Conclusion

It’s best to plant Dunston Chestnut tree is when the fall season begins, so that they will put their energy into producing a robust rooting system. While one or two chestnut trees may be enough for some people, others will want to plant several together.

Why are chestnut trees important?

Chestnut trees offer additional advantages to land managers as well. They grow faster and bigger, sometimes bearing in two to five years, where a white oak might not bear for 20 years. Eventually, chestnuts become prolific producers of hard mast that deer and other wildlife are so dependent on for their winter survival. They also lack the boom and bust cycles more common to oaks, and their blooms come out later in the spring so they are far less susceptible to broad scale mast crop failures caused by late freezes.Planting different varieties of mast producing trees is a great alternative or supplement to conventional food plots. But if you’re making the effort, it behooves you to plant the best, most attractive varieties. You’d be hard pressed to find a more nutritious, more attractive hard mast tree than the Dunstan Chestnut.

Where is Dunstan's great grandson?

Today, Dunstan’s great grandson, Iain Wallace, grows Dunstan Chestnuts and a variety of other mast producing trees and shrubs at the family’s Chestnut Hill Orchards in Alachua, Florida.

How long does it take for chestnut trees to bear fruit?

Chestnut trees offer additional advantages to land managers as well. They grow faster and bigger, sometimes bearing in two to five years, where a white oak might not bear for 20 years.

Who discovered chestnuts that were blight resistant?

Then in the geologic blink of an eye (roughly 30 years), they were effectively wiped out by a blight. Half a century later, James Carpentar discovered a large, healthy American chestnut in Ohio that appeared to be blight resistant.

What is the best tree for deer?

One of the Best Trees for Deer: The Origins of the Dunstan Chestnut. Mother Nature does an exemplary job of providing for her dependents, but that doesn’t mean she can’t use a helping hand once in a while. And the story of the Dunstan Chestnut offers a prime example.

What is a chestnut tree?

Chestnut trees are large deciduous trees with large, pointed leaves, long, finger-like flower clusters, and brown edible nuts. Chestnuts are easily identifiable due to the spiky burs growing in clusters and containing the fruit—a brown-shelled nut encasing creamy-white flesh. Chestnut trees have a straight, broad trunk with deeply furrowed bark and a large spreading rounded canopy.

Why are chestnut trees important?

In addition, because American chestnut trees are faster growing than oak, they had greater commercial value.

How tall is a Chinese chestnut tree?

The Chinese chestnut tree is a medium-sized deciduous tree that grows 40 to 60 ft. (12 – 18 m) tall and up to 60 ft. wide. Chinese chestnuts are identified by their broad crown, ovate or lanceolate leaves with serrated margins and long flowering catkins 1.5” to 8” (4 – 20 cm) long. The Chinese chestnut tree also produces edible nuts, which are 1” (3 cm) in diameter.

How to identify an American chestnut tree?

You can identify American chestnuts in landscapes by their broad, spreading rounded crown, twigs with a reddish hue, and bumpy, ridged bark.

What is the difference between a horse chestnut tree and a chestnut tree?

There are other differences between chestnuts and horse chestnut trees. Horse chestnut leaves are more rounded, and they have larger clusters of flowers. Additionally, horse chestnut leaves grow palmately, where as chestnut leaves grow in a simple arrangement alternately along branches.

What is the best soil for chestnut trees?

The flowering trees mostly grow in temperate regions of the world in USDA zones 5 to 7. Chestnut trees perform best in full sun and loamy, well-draining soil.

How big do chestnut flowers get?

The long, dangling chestnut flowers grow 4” to 8” (10 – 20 cm) long. Both female and male parts are on the same flowers. However, chestnut pollination needs at least two trees to produce fruit.

image

1.Dunstan Chestnut History – Chestnut Hill Nursery

Url:https://chestnuthilltreefarm.com/learning-center/dunstan-chestnut-history-2/

20 hours ago These Dunstan Chestnuts are the only chestnuts to ever receive U.S. Plant Patents. We only produce trees grown from seed from this orchard of the best trees. Because the parent trees …

2.Dunstan Chestnut Trees | Naturehills.com

Url:https://www.naturehills.com/dunstan-chestnut-trees

8 hours ago Dunstan Chestnut™ seedling trees are the best and most widely planted chestnut trees in America – they combine the excellent nut quality and tree form with blight resistance. Dunstan …

3.Dunstan Chestnut – Chestnut Hill Nursery

Url:https://chestnuthilltreefarm.com/shop/dunstan-chestnut/

26 hours ago That tree became the parent to the Dunstan Chestnut (Castanea dentata X mollissima) the best blight resistant Chestnut on the market today. Native to America, these great shade trees row …

4.Chestnut Trees | Hybrid Chestnut Trees- Dunstan …

Url:https://www.treepro.com/chestnut-trees/

11 hours ago Dunstan Chestnut™ seedling trees are the best and most widely planted chestnut trees in America – they combine the excellent nut quality and tree form with blight resistance. Dunstan …

5.When to Plant Dunstan Chestnut Trees? - GFL Outdoors

Url:https://www.gfloutdoors.com/when-to-plant-dunstan-chestunut-trees/

30 hours ago We have hybrid chestnut trees that genetically drop every month from August to November. These trees were developed by crossing American with Chinese, similar to the way Dunstan Chestnut …

6.WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE Dunstan Chestnut?

Url:https://patacf.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Dunstan-Article-by-Sara-F.pdf

31 hours ago  · Dunstan Chestnuts are native to America and can be successfully grown in many states. When planting or transplanting new trees, it’s best to plant in the fall. Dunstan chestnut …

7.One of the Best Trees for Deer: The Origins of the …

Url:https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/content/articles/one-of-the-best-trees-for-deer-the-origins-of-the-dunstan-chestnut

13 hours ago “Dunstan” chestnut is an American chestnut, going back to the very early years of TACF. A 1988 advertisement for the Dunstan chestnut as “the return of the American chestnut” prompted …

8.Chestnut Trees: Types, Leaves, Fruit - American, …

Url:https://leafyplace.com/chestnut-trees/

12 hours ago  · After selecting individuals with the best hybrid characteristics, Dr. Dunstan crossed them back to both the American and Chinese parent trees, creating the Dunstan chestnut, a …

9.Blight-resistant Dunstan chestnuts are not what they …

Url:https://www.ajc.com/life/home-garden/blight-resistant-dunstan-chestnuts-are-not-what-they-seem/2DYA75ATZZHVXMDZJEHG2FXQL4/

25 hours ago  · Dunstan Chestnut (Castanea dentata X mollissima) The Dunstan chestnut is a blight-resistant, fast-growing chestnut tree that grows 40 to 60 ft. (12 – 18 m) tall. The …

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9