Chestnuts

[Jimmy G]

A friend of mine who runs a lawn service in St Paul Minnesota dropped off some chestnut seeds that were all over a backyard of one of his customers. Surprised me! When I had looked into chestnuts years ago I was turned off by what zone was suggested for them. I figured they were at best a marginal zone 4 survivor. He told me the tree was at least 25 feet tall, but that's the only info he has. I told him to get some pics of leaves and bark next time he mows that lawn. He said it was full of nuts. It's in an older part of St. Paul that has some pretty old trees but I wonder if it's a Chinese chestnut??
Any suggestions on the seeds?? What I could find said to cold stratify them?? I had good luck this year with my acorns, treat them the same way??
Thanks

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[MickT]

Those look like buckeyes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Native Hunter]

Friend, those are buckeyes rather than chestnuts. They are poisonous.

 

[Jimmy G]

Yikes!!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[g squared 23]

I made the exact same mistake. A friend had a tree dropping like crazy, and I started pocketing the things thinking I had hit a gold mine. Still don't have any chestnuts planted, can't figure out where I'd put any. Guess I'll have to do some cutting.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TreeDaddy]

Friend, those are buckeyes rather than chestnuts. They are poisonous.

Maybe Jimmy's "friend" is a wolverine........

bill

 

[OakSeeds]

Lots of ol'timers would probably call these horse chestnuts instead of buckeyes; they were frequently referred to as European horse chestnuts. Most folks now recognize them as Ohio buckeyes (Ohio State mascot). Although their leaves have a shape different from Chinese/American chestnuts, they are encased in a prickly bur and have pretty much the same shape as the chestnuts we covet. Interestingly enough, they are approaching the endangered species status; it is likely any tree you find will be mature (old and tall). Many suggest they are a good luck charm.

 

[j-bird]

if they are smooth all over like a river stone they are buckeyes. Chestnuts will look very similar, but will have a point on them. Everything about the two is very different. Buckeye wood is very soft and very light colored, chestnut is just the opposite. Buckeye leaves have 5 leaflets to them and sort of look like a hand while chestnut look more like a chinkapin oak or a beech. Buckeye sprout leaves early and drop early, while chestnut seem to sprout late and hold their leaves well. The chestnut burr looks like a sea urchin, while a chestnut bur looks less threatening. Many old timers carried Buckeyes as good luck (I still do as a tribute to my grandfather who always carried one).

Can't fault a buddy for trying to look out for you. He more than likely didn't know. Good thing you asked before you planted. Not that buckeye are harmful, but there are much, MUCH better things to be planting. I cut down many of my buckeyes.

 

[roymunson]

O-H!!!

 

[cavey]

I'm straight east of the cities and have Chinese chestnuts growing and now producing nuts, your about an hour north of me and an hour west ish so I would guess you could grow those or hybrids.

I planted some buckeyes that I got bare rooted and they took off and had no problems with our winters, then found out that they are a bit toxic so I just hacked them down... not that i hated them it was just not what i wanted in the end.


a good read on chestnut id:

https://www.acf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TreeIDcards.pdf?x27388

 

[Jimmy G]

Thanks for all the great info gents. I've never seen a buckeye or the tree so you surprised me. Glad I asked.
Hey cavey, where did you get your chinese chestnuts?? I would surely like to try the real thing!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[cavey]

Thanks for all the great info gents. I've never seen a buckeye or the tree so you surprised me. Glad I asked.
Hey cavey, where did you get your chinese chestnuts?? I would surely like to try the real thing!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

I believe my first Chinese Chestnut trees came from Lawyer Nursery but from what Im hearing that's not an option anymore as they are out of business (that was 10 years or so ago). I have a bunch of Dunstan chestnuts that I have grown from seed that are going into their second fall which seem to be doing very well - they are hybrids. https://chestnutridgeofpikecounty.com/ I didn't order the hand picked nuts just ordered a 3 lb or so quantity of nuts and cold stratified them in the fridge. Potted them out and grew them in the house till spring - it was a fun kind of pain in the butt deal.

If I were to order bare root chestnut trees I would most likely go with http://www.alphanurseries.com/broadleaflargetreespageone.html .. page through their site and look at the "bigger stuff" - they have 2-3 foot trees. I would put together a smaller order of bigger trees. Try and gamble with growing them, ( just look at the way they price out for smaller orders ...the price listed on the screen isnt what you would pay they have a percent multiplier for smaller orders.) I did an order with them last year and it worked out well - they have a ton of variety and I will be doing another order with them this year for spring on some other shrubs.

http://wallace-woodstock.com/nut-trees/ out of nw wi has trees too and I have bought from them.

there are other good places to buy from too Im sure others here have some ideas

 

[H20fwler]

O-H!!!

I-O !!!!!

 

[H20fwler]

Lots of ol'timers would probably call these horse chestnuts instead of buckeyes; they were frequently referred to as European horse chestnuts. Most folks now recognize them as Ohio buckeyes (Ohio State mascot). Although their leaves have a shape different from Chinese/American chestnuts, they are encased in a prickly bur and have pretty much the same shape as the chestnuts we covet. Interestingly enough, they are approaching the endangered species status; it is likely any tree you find will be mature (old and tall). Many suggest they are a good luck charm.

We have a lot of buckeye trees in my area and in town a few horse chestnut trees. The horse chestnut nuts are larger than buckeyes and have a weird smell, the nuts also seem "softer" when they come out of the hull more than buckeyes or chestnuts, they actually look more like regular chestnuts than the buckeyes do.

 

[yoderjac]

They are not poisonous to all creatures. Lions (of the Nittnay variety) eat them up!

 

[Skelly]

A friend of mine came by the house and said he saw 15 trees loaded with these and wanted to know what the heck they were. After my knees stopped shaking I explained what they were.

I found out a county near me planted the chestnuts in a wildlife refuge. I confirmed it was ok to harvests some of them when they matured.

 

[H20fwler]

They are not poisonous to all creatures. Lions (of the Nittnay variety) eat them up!

Really? Four times in the last fifteen meetings isn't exactly eating anything up.....sounds like buckeye envy.

 

[yoderjac]

Really? Four times in the last fifteen meetings isn't exactly eating anything up.....sounds like buckeye envy.

Really? Four times in the last fifteen meetings isn't exactly eating anything up.....sounds like buckeye envy.

Just couldn't resist!

 

[cavey]

jimmy g and homegrownbucks;

these are from last year but are coming off of the Chinese Chestnut trees on my land in zone 4b Dunn Co Wi