This productive hybrid variety known as 'Colossal' produces extremely large nuts of good quality with ~14-18 nuts per pound. The colossal chestnut ripens early with husks that are easy to peel making it a popular orchard variety. Colossal chestnut needs a pollinator - plant with Silverleaf to increase cross pollination and overall production. The Colossal chestnut is a hybrid between Japanese and European genetics that is blight resistant and widley adapted to zones 4-8, although performs best in warm climates.
 
Chestnuts are majestic, wide-spreading trees with lush, tropical-looking foliage and glossy green leaves. In mid-summer, they produce stunning clusters of fragrant, yellow male catkins. Come fall, you'll be able to harvest generous crops of sweet, nutritious nuts, each encased in spiky, golden-brown husks. Unlike most other nuts, chestnuts are rich in starch and taste delicious whether roasted or boiled. Chestnuts thrive in well-drained soil with full to partial sunlight, and can grow up to 40 feet or more at maturity. They are hardy to temperatures as low as -25°F (USDA Zone 4) and typically begin to bear fruit 2-5 years after planting. For best pollination, plant two or more trees together.