Heritage chestnut

Abstract

A tall, vigorous hybrid chestnut tree with very American chestnut-like characteristics, having a single, timber-form, upright, straight bole and a narrow branching habit, with large, elliptical and deeply dentate leaves and strongly scented flowers appearing in late spring after leafing out; the tree being a regular and light bearer of medium-sized, elongated, sweet nuts, the burrs splitting and many of the nuts falling free from the burr; the tree also exhibiting a high genetic resistance to the chestnut bark blight (Endothia parasitica), being a member of a group of hybrid chestnut trees that have not shown a single instance of infection in over 30 years of breeding and research, including passing inoculation tests without dying from infection, and the present variety itself not showing any instance of blight infection in 25 years of growth in the orchard.

I claim: 
     
       1. A new and distinct variety of hybrid chestnut tree, substantially as illustrated and described, which is of large size, vigorous, upright, straight-boled, timber type form with large, elliptical leaves with deeply dentate margins and late (post leaf appearance) flowering; the tree being a light, regular bearer of medium sized, elongated, sweet nuts in burrs that crack in late September and early October and release the crop easily; the trees being especially characterized by resembling the American chestnut in tree form, foliage and nut quality and a high genetic resistance to the chestnut bark blight.