Carolina chestnut

Abstract

A large, vigorous hybrid chestnut tree, having an upright growth form with broadly spreading branches and a rounded crown, and abundant, lustrous foliage of large elliptical leaves with slightly dentate margins, and strongly scented flowers appearing in spring after leafing out; the tree being a regular and very prolific bearer of large, dark colored and very sweet, easy-to-peel nuts, the nuts ripening and falling free from the burr in mid September to the first of October; the tree also exhibiting a very high inherent resistance to the chestnut bark blight (Endothia parasitica), not showing a single instance of blight infection in 15 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 in growth, upright in form with broadly spreading branches and a rounded crown, with abundant foliage and large, lustrous, elliptical leaves with slightly dentate margins and late flowering; the tree being a regular and prolific bearer of large, dark-colored and very sweet nuts that ripen and fall free from the burrs in early to late September; the trees being especially characterized by having the combination of good tree form and large, sweet and easy-to-peel nuts with a high genetic resistance to the chestnut bark blight that make it a valuable tree for both landscaping and commercial nut production of high quality chestnuts.