American Chestnut Seeds and Seedlings
How to Get American Chestnut Seeds from TACF
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is excited that you want to support its mission to restore the American chestnut by planting chestnut trees. The two types of plant material available to current members of TACF are wild-type American chestnut seeds with no blight resistance and improved American chestnut seeds (hybrids) with intermediate blight resistance. Both are only available in the spring. In addition, TACF chapters may occasionally offer seeds or seedlings to their members (see chapter offerings below).
What is a Chestnut Seed?
A chestnut seed is the nut itself! Each chestnut will grow a single chestnut tree.

Notice: Our Wild-Type Sale Has Changed from Seedlings to Seeds
For many years, The American Chestnut Foundation has offered its members access to a Wild-Type American Chestnut Seedling Sale. The sale was extremely popular, often selling out in under an hour. TACF recognized that its positive impact was limited due to short supply. In addition, seedlings couldn’t be shipped west of the Mississippi due to concerns about spreading chestnut blight.
To address these issues, beginning in spring 2025, TACF will offer its members the opportunity to purchase wild-type chestnut seeds (nuts) instead. Like the seedlings, these seeds come from verified wild-type American chestnuts grown in the wild or in TACF chapter-run Germplasm Conservation Orchards. We look forward to offering this updated and expanded seed sale to members in spring 2025!
The benefits of wild-type seeds vs. seedlings
- More abundant supply for sale
- Substantially lower price
- Availability west of the Mississippi River
- Germinating from seed in your native soil eliminates transplant shock and promotes faster establishment
- Growing a tree from seed can be a magical and rewarding experience!

Wild-Type
American Chestnut Seeds
Become a member at any level to receive access to TACF’s Annual Wild-Type American Chestnut Seed Sale in March (limited supply available).
Read important information about the seeds and sale below.

Improved American Chestnut Seeds
with Intermediate Blight Resistance
Become a Seed Level Member to receive the gift of improved American chestnut seeds mailed to you every spring.
Read important information about the seeds and distribution below.
Can I Get Chestnuts Shipped to my State or Country?
Seeds from TACF’s Annual Wild-Type Seed Sale and from TACF’s Seed Level Member program are soaked in a hydrogen peroxide or bleach solution to kill external pathogens and can be shipped to any of the contiguous United States excluding California, Oregon, or Washington due to state agricultural regulations. Seeds are not shipped outside the United States.
2025 Seed Calendar
Friday, January 31, 2025 | Seed Level Membership cutoff date Your Seed Level membership donation or renewal must be received by January 31st for February 2025 delivery of TACF’s improved Seeds. Memberships received after this date will be placed on the following year’s seed distribution list. |
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 | Seed Level Member improved seeds mailed The annual gift of TACF’s improved American chestnut seeds will be mailed to Seed Level members. |
Saturday, March 1, 2025 | Wild-Type Seed Sale membership cutoff date Your membership or renewal must be received by March 1st and be current through March 18 to be eligible to participate in the Wild-type Seed Sale. |
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | Wild-Type Seed Sale TACF’s Annual Wild-type American Chestnut Seed Sale will open on the morning of March 18 at 9 AM Eastern Time. |
Wild-Type American Chestnut Seeds
All TACF members, regardless of membership level, will receive email access to participate in TACF’s Annual Wild-Type Seed Sale, typically held in March.
A wild-type American chestnut tree has not been intentionally hybridized with other chestnut species or genetically modified. These are sometimes referred to as “pure” American chestnuts but it is important to remember that all nine species of chestnut worldwide (the genus Castanea) can hybridize with each other in the wild and some wild trees may be natural hybrids.
While these wild-type American chestnuts are not resistant to blight fungus, they can thrive for many years and produce nuts for harvest and consumption with proper site selection and care.
Growing wild-type American chestnut trees helps preserve genetic diversity within the species for future breeding and wild adaptation, and also provides an opportunity to practice planting and maintaining American chestnut trees on your unique site.
Visit the Growing Chestnuts page for information about how to plant your American chestnut seeds.
Important Information About TACF's Annual Seed Sale
- This is a popular annual sale exclusively for current TACF members.
- Seed quantities are limited and are for sale while supplies last. Seeds may sell out quickly.
- The seeds in this program are collected from verified American chestnut trees (Castanea dentata) in the wild, or from Germplasm Conservation Orchards (GCO) that are not close to known hybrid chestnuts or other non-C. dentata chestnut trees. They are not sourced from or near our Meadowview Research Farm property. Because the source trees are open-pollinated, TACF cannot guarantee that seeds were not naturally pollinated by other chestnut species. In all but the rarest of cases, our wild-type seeds are non-hybrid American chestnuts.
- Seeds are sold in bundles.
- Bundle sizes and maximum purchase limits depend upon availability and are determined from year to year.
- Due to agricultural restrictions, no seeds are shipped out of the United States or to Washington, Oregon, or California.
- A private link with purchasing instructions is emailed to members two days before the sale goes live. Another is emailed the morning of the sale just before it begins. This link is exclusively for members and should not be shared with others.
- Be sure to check your spam folder, especially if you are a new member, and please update TACF if your email address changes.
- Check the calendar above to determine the membership cut-off date and ensure you are eligible to participate.
- The viability of wild-type American seeds is not guaranteed by TACF.
- Proceeds from this sale help fund research to rescue this foundational species.
Improved Chestnut Seeds from Meadowview Research Farms
Joining TACF at one of its seed levels means that, in addition to receiving access to TACF’s Annual Wild-Type American Chestnut Seed Sale, your membership will include a certain number of improved seeds from its research farms in Meadowview, Virginia to plant as you wish.
These hybrid seeds have some level of Chinese chestnut ancestry to confer blight resistance. They will tolerate blight infection more effectively than an American chestnut, but not as well as a Chinese chestnut. In general, blight will grow rapidly on an American chestnut, more slowly on these hybrids, and do minimal damage to a Chinese chestnut. At this time there is no 100% blight-resistant American chestnut seed or seedling and there is no guarantee that any seed will grow free from blight. Scientific efforts toward this goal are part of TACF’s mission.
Survival and health of seedlings depends on multiple factors such as proper site selection and managing competition. Visit the Growing Chestnuts page for information about how to plant your American chestnut seeds.
Important Information about TACF's Improved Chestnut Seeds
- Chestnut seeds are whole chestnuts that have been cold stratified (overwintered) and are ready to plant upon receipt.
- Your Seed Level Membership is a donation to TACF. Seeds are a gift for Seed Level donations.
- Seeds are shipped once a year in March.
- Your membership donation must be received by January 31st for March delivery. Memberships received after this date will be placed on the following year’s seed distribution list.
- Joining or renewing a lapsed membership at a seed level after the January deadline means that your first seeds will be shipped in March of the following year rather than the year you joined.
- Growing TACF’s improved seeds requires signing a Germplasm Agreement (GPA).
- GPAs are signed electronically during online membership enrollment or re-enrollment.
- GPAs are mailed to new members who join by sending in TACF’s membership form as part of the new member welcome packet.
- Seeds shipped to states west of the Mississippi River are soaked in a diluted bleach solution to prevent the spread of contagions.
- No seeds will be shipped to California, Oregon, or Washington, nor outside the contiguous United States due to agricultural regulations.
- TACF requests that you contact us within 30 days of receipt of seeds to report any issues.
- Germination rates are not guaranteed by TACF.

American Chestnut Seeds and Seedlings Available at the Chapter Level
Some TACF state chapters offer seeds and/or seedlings to their current members or the general public at various times of the year. View a list of these offers below.
Become a member of TACF to receive email updates about offers from your local chapter.
Chapter leaders, please submit offers via this form.
New England Region
Maine
Dates Available: March 1st – May 1st, 2025
Contact for more information: Visit the Maine Seed Sales page
Description: The Maine chapter is selling bundles of 5 Maine-grown seeds online for $20, with shipping included. Orders will be accepted from March 1 through May 1, 2025. There is no maximum order. For every 10 seeds you buy, we will ship you one extra. These seeds were collected from wild-type, pure American chestnut trees in Maine, which are not blight tolerant. They are adapted to Maine’s climate and might not be suitable for southern climes. If available, please buy seeds sourced from the TACF chapter closest to you. We also encourage you to join that chapter. However, you do not have to be a member of TACF to purchase seeds from the Maine chapter in 2025.
Vermont –
New Hampshire
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Massachusetts –
Rhode Island
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Connecticut
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
North Central Region
New York
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Indiana
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Ohio
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Pennsylvania –
New Jersey
Date: March 29, 2025
Contact for more information: Lake Graboski at gro.fcat@iksobarg.ekal
Description: Wild-type seed is given to members at the Annual Spring Growers Meeting in groups of 10 nuts. The 2025 meeting is at the Allen Theatre in Annville, PA on March 29th.
Mid-Atlantic Region
Kentucky
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
West Virginia
Dates Available: May 12-29, 2025
Contact for more information: Mark Double at gro.fcat@retpahcvw or call 304-319-1317
Description: The WV chapter offers 3-month-old wild-type chestnut seedlings free-of-charge to WV chapter members only. We do not sell seedlings. Seedlings must be picked up either in Morgantown at the WVU greenhouse (1201 Evansdale Drive) or in Fayetteville at the home of WV chapter board member, Dr. Lewis Cook. The WV chapter would appreciate the return of all pots and stands to keep down our costs for the following year. Seedlings are provided on a first-come basis. If interested, send an email to the WV chapter at: gro.fcat@retpahcvw. In 2025, the source of all chestnut seedlings is the 200-tree chestnut orchard at the former Clements tree nursery in Mason County. Resistance of these seedlings to the chestnut blight fungus is unknown. Some trees in the Clements nursery have shown signs of limited resistance while other trees are heavily cankered. Nuts are potted in late February or early March and maintained until mid-May at which time they can be picked up. Planting should not occur until the last threat of frost.
Virginia
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Maryland
Dates Available: April 26th, 2025
Contact for more information: Jeff White at moc.kooltuo@fcatdm
Description: A limited amount of wild-type American chestnut seedlings and hybrid seedlings will be available at the Maryland TACF Spring Membership Membership Meeting. The Meeting will be Saturday, April 26, 10:30 – 2:30 at the Gaithersburg Regional Library, meeting room 3. Two free seedlings per person (donation suggested) or until supply runs out. Meeting is free and open to the public, registration is suggested and can be completed here.
Questions? Email us at moc.kooltuo@FCATDM
Southern Region
Tennessee
Dates Available: March 1, 2025
Contact for more information: Rob Waggener at ten.tsacmoc@reneggaw.bor or call (901) 568-0765
Description: Improved (backcross) seedlings will be distributed (donation requested) at the Tennessee Annual Chapter Meeting, on March 1st, beginning at 9 am. Location: Hyder-Burks Agricultural Pavilion, Tennessee Tech (2390 Gainesboro Grade Cookeville, TN 38501). There will be an afternoon tour of the chestnut orchard across the street. Read more about the event here.
North Carolina –
South Carolina
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Alabama
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
Georgia
No offers currently listed. Please contact your chapter to see if they have any seeds or seedlings available.
TACF’s American Chestnut Plant Material FAQ
Does TACF Make Recommendations about Where to Purchase American Chestnut Plant Material?
As a nonprofit, TACF does not make recommendations about where to obtain American chestnut plant material becasue it cannot vouch for the authenticity of the plant material nor the practices of a private business.
TACF recommends that you do not purchase seedlings from the native range if you live west of the Mississippi River.
TACF strongly recommends verifying that any seeds you purchase are soaked in a solution to prevent spread of blight and other contagions, especially if they come from the native range.
Why Doesn't TACF Ship Seeds to California, Oregon, or Washington?
TACF does not ship seeds to California, Oregon, or Washington because the agricultural regulations of these states do not permit American chestnut plant material to be imported from another state.
Why Doesn't TACF Ship Seeds Outside the Contiguous United States?
TACF does not ship seeds outside of the contiguous United States due to shipping regulations.
Why Doesn't TACF Guarantee Its Plant Material?
American chestnut plant materials are made available to current TACF members as a benefit of membership in appreciation for the funding of ongoing scientific research toward restoring this majestic species. TACF is not a retail operation and is not responsible for growing conditions of planted material after shipping.
Why do the Improved American Chestnut Seeds Only Have Intermediate Blight Resistant?
Transferring the trait of blight resistance from the Chinese chestnut to the American chestnut via generational breeding is one of TACF’s scientific efforts toward restoring the American chestnut to its native range. Unfortunately, there is no single gene in the Chinese chestnut that confers this trait. Instead, there are anywhere from three to 100 genes in the Chinese chestnut that contribute to conferring blight resistance. These genes also show up in different combinations in each individual Chinese tree, making it difficult to breed for resistance. TACF’s science team continues to work toward higher blight resistance in its Recurrent Genomic Selection program.