Tissue Culture Colossal Chestnut Trees

Tissue culture Colossal Chestnut trees grown to 30-40 inches tall and shipped bare root in fall. The trees will be packed for safe shipping and should be removed from the bag and heeled upon arrival and then watered until ready to plant.

The photos are of the trees in the various stages of propagation & growth. Orders will be fulfilled in Winter 2024/2025 based on customer preference and growing region.

About the Colossal Cultivar

The Colossal chestnut is a hybrid chestnut cultivar that is known for its large nuts and high yields. It is a cross between the European and Japanese chestnuts (Castanea sativa x crenata), and it was developed in California in the early 20th century.

Colossal chestnut trees are vigorous growers and can reach heights of up to 60 feet. They produce large, sweet nuts that are typically 14-18 per pound. The nuts are encased in spiny burrs, and they ripen in mid to late September.

Colossal chestnut trees are cold-hardy and can be grown in USDA zones 4-8. They are relatively easy to care for, but they do require cross-pollination with another chestnut variety.

We deliver trees to growers in all parts of the U.S.. Before selecting a cultivar for your farm, we recommend speaking with growers in your area, extension agents, or other advisors to select the best cultivars for your specific growing conditions.

Recommended Pollinizers:

Non "male pollen sterile," European x Japanese chestnut (Castanea sativa x crenata) hybrids such as Okei, Gillet, Nevada or even Szego (which is a complex hybrid). For more information on pollinizer selection see our Resources Page.

About Tissue Culture Propagation

Chestnuts are notoriously difficult to get into tissue culture. This means growers have had to use other forms of propagation, such as grafting and air layering to plant or expand an orchard. Non-tissue culture forms of propagation are both time intensive and have very high failure rates. For example, it's not uncommon for 50% of crafted chestnuts to die back to the graft within a few years.

Tissue culture chestnuts do not require grafting or air layering. There is no root stock and scion. Each tree is grown from a small piece of juvenile wood and is therefore a single, uniform tree.