Seed nuts from WC — Natasha (N-9)

The variety

W.C. comes from Kentucky, the same state that produced Qing, and Michael Nave describes it as a possible sibling with similar nuts on a larger, more spreading tree. Like Qing it carries Allegheny chinquapin in its parentage alongside Chinese chestnut, so we do not call it a pure Chinese chestnut.

What drew our attention is storage. When Greg Miller stored nuts from dozens of cultivars, Liu came out best for resistance to blossom end rot and storage rots, and after a year's observation W.C. was the next one he named. We grow both.

It is also scarce. Nave lists W.C. among trees he rates highly but has not written up, simply because there is no consistent source of wood or nuts anywhere. It is not a variety you will find offered by nurseries, and we are glad to have it.

Natasha in 2026

[TO BE WRITTEN — 2026 Ellington observations: bur set in the hard 2026 season, first drop date, nut size, shell splitting, whether burs drop whole.]

The tree

[TO BE WRITTEN — the mother tree's own note: where it stands and anything particular about it.]