It's almost 6' tall now, and holding on to brown leaves. Two others for cross-pollination aren't as vigorous (~3'), prb'ly 'cause of limestone where they're planted near the road. I give them some acid fertilizer. I'm finding that anything I plant close to this road doesn't do well, other than Osage orange, European x Japan larch and Pitch x Loblolly pine. Hybrid vigor maybe?

This is a link (in English) of scientific trials made in Turkey of grafting chestnut on Quercus Vulcania Boiss that they say to be very common in Anatolia & Lebanon. Jerusalem is not so far, do you have this species in Israel ? They report trees having lived from 1893 to 1946 so it's rather durable. They report also that two rejection periods due to problems of compatibility do exist : an early one during the first two years an a later one during 5th to 7th year. So patience & resignation are needed. https://www.google.fr/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCcQFjAAahUKEwjGxoGO1ODGAhVBOhQKHSsdC8w&url=http%3A%2F%2Farticle.sciencepublishinggroup.com%2Fpdf%2F10.11648.j.aff.20130202.18.pdf&ei=cyqoVYbBHMH0UKu6rOAM&usg=AFQjCNHV1jijNoPzsNbdZMGzE8jn_w-0wg&sig2=Wq5U54OHOrxB496Q5Ff3ew&bvm=bv.97949915,d.d24 You were wondering why I am testing red oak : this is because here, there grow much much faster than other species during the first tree years and from what I read, it's important to do the graft on young trees, and vigorous ones should work better. The fact that it is not in the same group as white oak does not seem important as chestnut group is much further anyway. It's proven that this association in durable on white oaks, on quercus petraea, now on quercus vulcania. On evergreen oaks, it works but we do not know about duration, a rejection on the 7th year could make the grafter think that it's purely bad luke when the Turkisk link says that this is a standard compatibility problem rejection. So the doors are open...

Sharon, You make a good point, I really don't know, but what you say makes very good sense. On the site that sells Chestnut trees to the growers, they were talking about what the 'Growers' should do to maximize their crop yield is intersperse a one to ten ratio of a different hybrid. We don't need 'maximized crop yields', just enough for the furry tailed tree critters with some left over for us :) I will be starting the seeds in my green house with a heat mat under under the pots. I will post the progress on them. These are gorgeous looking nuts, far superior to those Chinese nuts you get in stores, Lou

well, well, well...isn't that interesting! I walked in from our hike and showed these to my father in law (who's lived in Monterey most of his life) and he identified them as chestnuts so I thought nothing of it, but I definitely think you are correct. The green pods had opened to yield these dark brown smooth nuts of about 2 inches that were beginning to germinate (and rooted nicely in my pot) looks just like what is on your page and that would make more sense. I'm going to try to attach some pictures. I bet these were the beautiful silvery branched small deciduous trees I was seeing everywhere as well. I checked another page and they end the article with: "Though thoroughly inedible (unless leached of their toxins, as the Native Californians did), there is something irresistible about this seed, looking as if it had been carved, lacquered, and polished; few can resist picking up one or more, often pocketing them to be brought home for a show-and-tell with family or friends. And then the rains come, and the year-long cycle begins anew. - See more at: http://www.pacifichorticulture.org/articles/california-buckeye-a-tree-for-all-seasons/#sthash.zsT2m7jo.dpuf" I was definitely one who couldn't resist pocketing a few... In this case, I'd be dealing with much smaller trees/large bushes, which would be better for this spot, but we are zone 6a (changed from 5b as climate change has happened over these last decades). So I may lose them if we have a harsher than usual winter--we had one of the 10 coldest winters here in 2013-14 and I did lose some variegated hollies that are more suited to Great Britain but had been on the lot for about a decade. But it is still worth trying since we are in the range they can take and would be fun to see what they can do. Sounds like the plans for a well draining corner spot where the acorns don't end up in the yard and I can keep them watered the first couple of years and they get reasonable afternoon sun, would still be just about right. If they end up establishing, the seedlings do sound like a bit of a pain, although I already have landscape fabric and mulch through that whole area to keep all of the other non-native stuff (like the asiatic shrub honeysuckle and trumpet vine) from getting a firm foothold. So pulling weeds along the lot line is already a part of my life. Thanks for the information...I guess these are the hazards of collecting 'magic beans' along a hike. It has already been fun to watch them growing in my pot.