Which Chestnut Variety is Right for You?

A Midwest Zone 5-7 Selection Guide

Chestnut trees are an incredible addition to any Midwest homestead. They produce nutritious nuts, provide cooling shade, wildlife habitat, and even valuable timber and biomass. But walk into any nursery (or search online), and you’ll quickly find yourself overwhelmed by variety names: Dunstan, Qing, Revival, Chinese, American, European, hybrid—what does it all mean, and which one is right for YOUR property?

Here’s the truth most nurseries won’t tell you: There’s no single “best” chestnut variety. The right choice depends on your goals, your land, your climate, and how much time you’re willing to invest.

This guide cuts through the confusion and helps you make the right decision for your specific situation in Zones 5-7.

Why Variety Selection Matters in the Midwest

My “Seeds Have Memory” Principle

Seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate. Often when you buy chestnut trees, seeds, or plants online, you have to buy from nurseries in the Northeast or Southeast US, or the Pacific Northwest.

A chestnut tree grown from seed from the Pacific Northwest or Northeast and shipped to Kansas will struggle with our wild temperature swings, cold (and warm) winters, hot summers, and periods of drought.

I learned the hard way – trees and plants grown in those climates do not do well in Kansas.

But a Midwest Memory tree grown right here in the Midwest has already proven it can handle what our climate throws at it!

My Recommended Varieties for Midwest Zones 5-7

Quick Decision Matrix

Your Priority	Zone 5	Zone 6
Maximum reliability	Empire Elite, Chinese Hybrid	Empire Elite, Chinese Hybrid
Best flavor	Empire Elite, American x Chinese Hybrid	Revival, American x Chinese Hybrid, Empire Elite
Wildlife/deer food plot planting	Chinese Hybrid (early drop), American x Chinese Hybrid, Empire Elite (late drop)	Chinese Hybrid (early drop), American x Chinese Hybrid, Revival, Empire Elite (late drop)
Premium quality nuts	American x Chinese Hybrid, Empire Elite	Revival, Peach, Empire Elite, American x Chinese Hybrid

Note: Plant several different varieties for diversity and the best pollination. We can help you design your orchard for the best layout.

Empire Elite

Empire Elite

Genetically diverse parents, a farm mix with Chinese, European parent trees

Key Traits

Late leafing (avoids late frosts)

Heavy producer, medium to large size nuts

Drops nuts mid to late season

Blight resistant and cold hardy to Zone 5b

Market quality nuts with sweet flavor

Diverse parents

My Empire Elite seedlings are grown in Kansas from seed from Route 9 Cooperative in Ohio.

Best for:

Diversity, good cold and blight resistance. Empire Elite seedlings have done very well on my Kansas property (although they are not old enough to bear nuts yet).

Buy Empire Elite Chestnut seedlings

Hybrid (American x Chinese)

American x Chinese Hybrid

Key Traits

Larger nuts than pure Chinese

Better tree form (more upright) and may be a larger tree

Blight resistant

Darker nuts that drop later

Cold hardy to Zone 6, although they may do OK in Zone 5b.

My Dunstan-like hybrid seedlings are a farm mix of chestnuts with American genetics mixed with Peach, Qing, and other unnamed Chinese chestnuts. They are grown in Kansas from seed gathered from Charlie’s Chestnuts in Lawrence, KS

Best for: Homesteaders and landowners wanting a mix of production and those with slightly more space.

Make sure to space these trees 25-30 feet apart.

Good for deer plots because they drop nuts later.

If selling nuts or seedlings, your customer will lean more toward these American hybrids than Chinese hybrids.

Buy American x Chinese Hybrid Chestnut seedlings

Disclaimer: Dunstan is a trademark owned by Chestnut Hill Tree Farm. You can buy full Dunstan trees from them, and they usually ship in 3 gallon pots. However, they are grown in the Southeast and do not do as well in Kansas. (Note that many people call any American-Chinese hybrid a “Dunstan”). My American x Chinese Hybrid seedlings are a farm mix of chestnuts with American genetics mixed with Peach, Qing, and other unnamed Chinese chestnuts.

Revival (American x Chinese Hybrid)

My Premium Choice

Revival

Revival chestnut – the largest chestnut I have ever seen!

Key Traits

Very large nuts (the largest chestnut I have ever seen!)

Exceptional chestnut flavor

Larger, upright tree (the seedlings grew taller in the first year)

Good blight resistance

Cold hardy to Zone 6

Drops nuts later

My Revival seedlings are grown in Kansas from seed gathered from Charlie’s Chestnuts in Lawrence, KS.

Best for:

Homesteaders seeking unique, very large nuts (these nuts sell themselves). Make sure to space these trees 25-30 feet apart.

Downsides:

Revival is not as easy to get.

Warning: Buy Revival seedlings only, not grafted trees. Revival has a tendency to have graft failure after 10 years if grafted.

Buy Revival Chestnut seedlings

Chinese Hybrid chestnut (farm mix)

Chinese Hybrid

Good diversity

Key Traits

Medium nuts, foraged from NE Kansas trees that were originally planted from seed from Charlie’s Chestnuts in Lawrence, KS.
My Chinese hybrids have a farm mix of Qing and other Chinese varieties, including Peach.,

Easy to peel nuts

Cold hardy to Zone 5b

Drops nuts early to mid-season

May bear nuts at a younger age

Best for:

Homesteaders who want consistent quality and production. Add to deer food plots to mix these early dropping nuts with the later dropping nut varieties.

Buy Chinese Hybrid Chestnut seedlings

Peach (Chinese)

Peach

Large to Extra Large nuts

Key Traits

Large to Extra Large nuts, lighter color, sometimes slightly fuzzy (hence the name)

Easy to peel nuts

Cold hardy to Zone 5b

Good genetics

Drops nuts mid-season

Downside:

May bear nuts later than other trees, or peak later for commercial production

Best for:

High yield with flavorful, easy to peel nuts.

I will have Peach chestnut seedlings later in the Fall. Until then, buy from our partner:

Buy Peach Chestnut seedlings

Qing (Chinese) – pronounced Ching

Qing

Industry Standard for commercial nut quality

Key Traits

Late leafing (avoids late frosts)

Heavy producer, medium to large size nuts
Industry standard for commercial nut quality

Excellent cold tolerance

Easy to peel

Sweet flavor

Drops nuts mid to late season

Cold hardy to Zone 5a

May bear nuts at a younger age

One of the most sought after chestnuts for commercial planting when turning corn/soy into a chestnut orchard or mixed regenerative crop planting.

Best for:

Commercial growers in Zone 5.

Anyone prioritizing reliability, homesteaders wanting high yield and proven production.

Warning: Make sure to buy Qing seedlings, not grafted trees. Qing has a tendency to have graft failure after 10 years if grafted.

I will have Qing chestnut seedlings later in the Fall. Until then, buy from our partner:

Buy Qing Chestnut seedlings

Shop our Midwest Memory Nut Trees

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Cross-Pollination: You can’t plant just one. Chestnuts are NOT self-fertile. You need at least 2-3 different varieties (or seedlings from different parent trees) to get nut production.

Buying trees from the wrong climate – Southeast-grown Dunstans, or European chestnuts grown in Michigan or the Pacific Northwest rarely thrive in Kansas.

Avoid pollen sterile chestnut trees like Colossal. They have extra-large nuts but need a pollinator. Use Revival instead.

Planting only one tree – You need cross-pollination

Ignoring drainage – Waterlogged soil = dead chestnuts

Buying grafted Revival or Qing trees – The graft failure rate is too high; always choose seedlings instead.

I do not sell any European or Japanese chestnut varieties (Colossal, Marrisard, etc.) because they are mostly grown in Michigan or the Pacific Northwest and they do not do well in Kansas. Plus several of them, like Colossal, are pollen sterile. I am experimenting with growing Sleeping Giant from seed, which is a Chinese x American x Japanese hybrid that the University of Missouri recommends, but I have mixed results with the seedlings grown from seed so far.

Conclusion

Choosing chestnut varieties for the Midwest doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start with proven, Midwest-adapted genetics (I like Empire Elite as the best all-around tree), ensure proper site preparation, plant multiple varieties for cross-pollination, and give your trees time.

In 5-7 years, you’ll be harvesting pounds of sweet, nutritious chestnuts from trees that will feed your family—and your grandchildren’s families—for generations.

Ready to start your chestnut orchard?

Why buy from Grow Nut Trees?

Because seeds and trees have “memory”. They thrived and reproduced in a certain climate.

Our Midwest Memory trees are grown and battle-tested in NE Kansas, so they don’t flinch at Midwest heat, wind, late frosts, or drought.

Result: higher survival, earlier bearing, and reliable nut yields in Zones 5–7.

Shop our selection of trees now

About GrowNutTrees.com

At GrowNutTrees.com, we specialize in Midwest Memory nut trees grown right here in Kansas. Our chestnuts, hazelnuts, and other plants are raised in Zone 6 conditions, so they have the “seed memory” to thrive in your Midwest homestead or orchard.

Every tree we sell has proven itself through Kansas winters, summer heat, and long drought —meaning you’re getting genetics that WORK in the real Midwest, not just in a catalog.