Just Fruits and Exotics

The American Chestnut is back! The forests of eastern North America were once dominated by the American Chestnut. Massive trees often reached 120 feet tall on trunks to 13 feet across. The wood was esteemed as a premier cabinet and furniture making material, as versatile as oak, but easier to work and more beautiful. Beginning around 1900, blight struck the American Chestnut, and by 1950, only a few small, isolated stands remained.

Researchers collected genetic material from those surviving trees and began to cross them with the blight-resistant Chinese Chestnut. Several varieties were developed and tested in groves that had been innoculated with the deadly blight. We are happy to report that no blight has been found in the original test orchards. We hope you will join us in bringing back the great American Chestnut!

These new American crosses have much larger nuts than the Chinese Chestnut, with a sweet crunchy, chinquapin flavor. They are delicious fresh, steamed or roasted, or they can be dried and ground into a sweet flour for making cakes and breads.

We're also pleased to add the Chinquapin, another Castanea that has sweet crunchy nuts.

Chestnut Varieties (Castanea sp.)

DUNSTAN HYBRID SEEDLINGS Large nuts averaging 28 to 32 nuts per pound. Sweet Chinquapin flavor. Trees are large -- up to 35 feet. Makes an excellent shade tree. Need two trees for pollination. Ripens late September. Zones 7-9. $32.99 3 gal (3-5 ft).

PEGGY'S EARLY CHINESE CHESTNUT New Introduction!. Given to us by Peggy Martin an avid fruit orchardist in Sopchoppy Florida. This tree bears Chestnuts a month earlier than the Dunstan Hybreds. The nuts are large 28-32 nuts per pound. Excellent flavor. Need two trees for pollination. Ripens early September. Zones 7-9. $32.99 3 gal (3-5 ft)

CHINQUAPIN A small shade tree that grows on acid, sandy soils, orangy-gold fall color. Castanea pumila is a prolific producer of small sweet nuts. Plant these if you love squirrels! Seedlings. Zones 5-9. $32.99 3 gal (3-5ft) .


Just the Facts
Not sure what to do with chestnuts or how to grow them right? DON'T PANIC! Push the panic button and we will give you "Just the Facts" you need to successfully grow them.

Got a gardener who's tough to shop for? Give them one of our beautiful Gift Certificates. They are nicely packaged with a catalog and make the perfect gift for holidays or just everyday thank you gifts. Call us for details!

Are we out of what you are looking for? Email us at Justfruits@hotmail.com and we'll put you on the "Call When Available" list. We will call you!

Please come to see us if you can (Wednesday to Sunday, 9:05-5:08). We are located 19 miles south of Tallahassee, just off US Highway 98, 1 mile east of the intersection with US Highway 319 (South of Crawfordville center and actually in the village of Medart). If you need further directions, feel free to call us at 1-850-926-5644 or enter 30 St. Frances St. Crawforville FL 32327 (or Just Fruits Nursery) into Google Maps ( CLICK HERE).