Chestnut tree

[Leafmite]

Does anyone know if a chestnut tree that is part Chinese chestnut and part American chestnut will be resistant to the blight? Someone gave me a seedling many years ago and thoght it was pure Chinese chestnut but it has the form and nuts of the American chestnut. A few people have told me the tree is doomed when the trunk becomes a certain diameter, despite the cross. The tree produces lots of nuts and is really pretty. I'd hate to lose it. I've been trying to learn what I could about this.
Thanks for any info.
Leafmite

[Filb]

It really depends on where it's from. There are a few nurseries breeding partially resistant lines.
Chinese chestnut is resistant to blight.
Just be careful not to injure it (including pruning) and keep it happy (give good culture).
:edit: Sorry, I was confusing with Dutch Elm disease :X

As a general rule of thumb, pruning should be done when the tree is dormant.

[NancyH]

HI Leafmite,
I would suggest you go down to your local Native Botanic Garden and show them the nut. That way they can identify it for you and you can decide if it is worth sprouting. Good luck. I have the CA Horse Chestnut planted in my garden, but they are young. I did not know about any type of blight. I started them from seeds (nuts) I collected while out hiking. I love growing trees from seeds!
Nancy

[PaulB]

Sorry for the question, but couldn't find it in the Glossary..

What is "Blight"? My chestnut does really well, maintain it as a Bonsai, but not sure if it a Chinese or American, or a mix of the two.

[Filb]

Paul,
Blight is just a term for infection with a pathogen that causes death of associated tissue.
In this case it's a non-native fungal infection which causes bark cankers which can ultimately kill the tree.
Most likely since you keep your tree as a bonsai it won't be exposed to the pathogen outright. There probably aren't very many other chestnuts in your area so the inoculum load will be low.

Hope that helps.

[Leafmite]

Until a year or two ago, I just figured my tree was completely Chinese chestnut as the person who gave me the little sapling had two of them in his yard (The bad news is one of them died.). I thought with it being partly Chinese chestnut, it would be resistant but...a few people, including a botanist, have told me that when the trunk becomes a certain width, it will likely get the blight. No, I don't prune the tree at all but there are insects and such and any little injury can let this disease in. And, if there are American chestnuts nearby, there is blight nearby. The little American Chestnut trees tend to keep coming up from the old roots, catch the blight, die. I've done quite a bit of reading on the internet and there is no clear answer. It is possible that it could be even more of a hybrid, the Chinese Chestnuts (grafted) might have been bred with other things to make them more winter-hardy. I did compare the leaves and nuts to pictures on the internet and so many people have commented on the tree. In the end, I'm just not going to worry. It is either resistant or it isn't. There isn't much that can be done. I'll enjoy the nuts, enjoy the tree, try not to look at the trunk too closely, and hope that it lives for many years to come.
There are many identifying factors to use for identifying your bonsai. Leaves are probably the easiest clue. If the leaves have a canoe shape, with a pointed tip, and are sharply toothed, it might have some American chestnut in it's heritage. They grow terribly fast and large in nature, much faster than many other trees. Neat to think one of those would be a bonsai.
Thank you for all the comments,
Leafmite

[PaulB]

Filb-
Thanks for the info. Heard the term a zillon times over the years and never knew what it was.
Actually, though, I'm in Southern California, where there are several "nieghborhhoods" of Vietnamese and Chinese. In those areas, you'll see chestnuts and "good luck bamboo" (which isn't bamboo at all, its Dracena, palm family) in shops and supermarkets all over the place.
Usually, for decorative purposes, the chestnuts are braided, 3 in a pot.
Mine is about 10 years old, and still about a foot and a half tall. No nuts. I don't think this warmer climate is good for producing them. I could be wrong.

[NancyH]

Hi,
Anyone out there want some California Native Horse Chestnut seeds? I started my trees from seeds and now they are old enough to have seeds. If so, let me know in a private pm.
Nancy