Seed nuts from H-14 — Marilyn (M-21)

The variety

H-14 has the best story in our orchard. At the USDA research station in Byron, Georgia stood a tree called Shandong — one of the two largest-nutted trees in that orchard. Before it was pushed over and the planting destroyed, Greg Miller collected and planted its seed nuts in Ohio. H-14 is the best tree that came out of that lot.

The nuts are large and good eating, on a vigorous and productive tree, and they drop late in the season, which extends how long we can offer fresh chestnuts.

The other great tree in that Georgia orchard was Byron 3-3, better known now as Payne. We grow descendants of both. The orchard they came from no longer exists, which makes what is left of it worth keeping going.

Marilyn 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.]