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Thanks to Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (originally started by our founder Amigo Bob Cantisano), a collection of some of our favorite species and varieties  are available for pre-sale through their website for the 2024/25 Bare Root Season 

Felix Gillet Collector Trees

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Below: the SOLD OUT Varieties listed are for informational purposes only. These are the trees and plants that we have re-discovered and sold over the years. They are the result of our passionate searches throughout Northern California, the Sierra Nevada and Western States to re-discover the historic, agricultural, living library still in existence. These trees and plants, left over from the 1800’s and early 1900’s Gold Rush era, were discovered on historic mining camps, ranches, and  homesteads. Most of these trees have become climate resilient with no human attention for the last 100 plus years. They give the best fruit and nuts in conditions that most fruit and nut trees cannot endure with large annual temperature variations.

These  grandmother trees have learned to thrive under the most harsh conditions, and with uncertain weather patterns.  It is our goal to make them available to growers, gardeners and communities throughout the West Coast.

We have personally taken cuttings directly from the 100+ year old grandmother trees that still cling to life in some, often deserted, historic orchards. The Felix Gillet Institute trees are very rare, exclusive plants – some may have only just been rediscovered.

95% of plants available during the 1800s are no longer available today.  We are saving what is left before they die. 

 You can become a Mother Orchard Supporter and help us in our efforts to discover more rare, historical trees and care for our collection of over 250 trees, by clicking on the Mother Orchard link above.

Ten of these varieties are available through Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply this year 2024/25. 

Thank you for all your Support!

American Chestnut

American Chestnut

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SKU 00016
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Product Details

We have discovered only 8 of the true American chestnut (Castenea dentata) still growing in our region, introduced to California by Gillet beginning in 1882. This is the chestnut once famous as the predominant hardwood of the Eastern US, but wiped out by chestnut blight introduced from Asia in the early 1900s. Chestnut blight is not known to effect chestnuts in California due to the lack of summer humidity necessary for blight to grow. Our mother trees have never been damaged by blight. The American chestnut is a small nut of the sweetest flavor. When dried many people describe the flavor as maple syrup like. They are easy to peel. Commonly roasted, we prefer them for making porridge and drying for grinding into wonderful chestnut flour. Plant a bit of American history! These trees are grafted using the scion from the mother tree, grafted on chestnut seedlings.

Note: Chestnut trees are rarely self-fertile, although we have found that some fruit surprisingly well despite being isolated. To insure regular production, plant at least two chestnuts at your site to encourage cross pollination and higher productivity.

Our mother trees are growing in an early 20th century mixed chestnut species, dry farmed, 2 acre orchard, growing near Brownsville, Yuba County at 2300'. Once a thriving logging town, Brownsville was settled in 1862 and named for sawmill owner I.E. Brown.
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American Chestnut
Store/Chestnuts
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