Quick Stats

• Nut size: 11–12g in northern climates; up to 13–16g in warmer regions
• Ripening: Early to mid-season
• Origin: Bred in 1937 at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (three-way hybrid cross)
• Consistency: Steady yields and nut size across different growing environments
• Disease notes: Some blossom end rot susceptibility observed in warmer climates

History & Origin

Sleeping Giant traces back to 1937, when it was bred at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station from a three-way hybrid cross combining Chinese chestnut with a Japanese-American chestnut hybrid. It's earned a reputation among growers for dependable, consistent nut production, and for adapting reasonably well when grown in different climates. Like many hybrid chestnuts, it isn't entirely disease-proof — some growers in warmer regions have reported issues with blossom end rot.

Choose Your Tree

Sleeping Giant seed nuts and seedlings are available from specific trees in our orchard — pick the tree you'd like yours grown from below.