How High Can a Chestnut Tree Grow Up To?

Types of Chestnuts

• Because all chestnut trees are capable of pollinating each other, the American chestnut has evolved over time due to the introduction of foreign species from Europe and the Far East. What appears to be an American chestnut at first glance may actually be a hybrid such as the European (Castanea sativa) or the Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima). At a mature height of 60 to 80 feet, the European chestnut is nearly as tall as the American chestnut but is only slightly less vulnerable to chestnut blight.

Other Chestnuts

• The Chinese chestnut tree, the smallest of the species, grows to roughly 40 feet and, according to the National Gardening Association, is highly blight-resistant. Blight can, however, affect Chinese chestnuts that are affected by other factors such as poor growing site, drought or winter damage. The Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) grows to roughly 60 feet and is somewhat resistant to chestnut blight, according to the University of California. The seguin chestnut (Castanea seguinii) grows to just 30 feet and is found mostly in the warmer climate of southern China. In the United States, the Southeast is the only area in which this tree does well.

Growth Requirements

• Most chestnut trees are hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 or 5. They do best on sunny well-drained slopes in loose, rich, slightly acidic soil, which translates on the pH scale to roughly 5.5 to 6.5. At least two different varieties are needed for cross-pollination. Chestnuts can be planted by the direct seeding method or with transplants and require 25 feet of space between them. If planting saplings, the hole should be twice the width of the pot or the root ball and the saplings should be planted at the same depth at which they were growing in the containers. Mulching is an effective way to discourage weeds until the trees are fully established. Chestnuts are highly appealing to a wide variety of animals, including deer and raccoons, so it's important to install tree guards or shelters around them at planting time.

Considerations

• Within the four major Castanea species, many hybrids have been developed in an effort to repopulate areas once lush with American chestnuts. Most hybrids are the product of crosses between at least two of the major species, such as Chestnut (Castanea) "Sleeping Giant," which is the product of a three-species cross-breeding between Chinese, American and Japanese chestnuts. Crosses involving the Chinese chestnut produce the most blight-resistant hybrids, as it passes its immunity on to other species,