Gardening Answers

Have you seen an American Chestnut?

DrPulte_Moderator | Posted in Southeast Gardening on

Recently I wrote a story about the current state of the American Chestnut and conservation efforts to save chestnut trees.  Anytime you write about the American Chestnut you open yourself up to a variety of opinions.  In fact my article was posted on several American Chestnut facebook pages and debated online for quite some time.

I have seen a few American Chestnuts in the wild in East Tennessee.  I was wondering who has seen the real deal in the wild?

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  1. User avater Moderator
    1. User avater Moderator
      maryannnewcomer | | #5

      Thanks for pointing that out.

  2. User avater Moderator
    Chloe_Moderator | | #2

    I used to occasionally see small ones, less than 20', in the wild in New York and Connecticut, but haven't seen one in at least 15 years. This could be because I don't have time to hike as much! I assume what I saw were stump sprouts.

    1. User avater Moderator
      DrPulte_Moderator | | #4

      I also think I have mostly seen stump sprouts.

  3. User avater Moderator
    maryannnewcomer | | #3

    I don't know that I have ever seen one. But I just finished a novel titled "North Woods." It covered the lives of all the folks who lived in a forest of chestnut trees in New England over a couple hundred years. The loss of those forests was pretty sad.

    1. User avater Moderator
      DrPulte_Moderator | | #6

      I'll look into this!

  4. User avater Moderator
    DrPulte_Moderator | | #7

    https://tacf.org/

    The American Chestnut foundation webpage for those who are interested.

  5. soran28h | | #8

    The effort is ongoing and looking bright! Check out the American Chestnut Foundation. The idea is to cross-breed with varieties based on the Chinese chestnut so that they acquire the blight resistance but acquire few other traits

    1. User avater Moderator
      DrPulte_Moderator | | #9

      Yes, many also think that many of our few remaining natives have some Chinese chestnut genes in them. The Chinese chestnut has been in the country so long.

  6. soran28h | | #10

    The effort is ongoing and looking bright! Check out the American Chestnut Foundation. The idea is to cross-breed with varieties based on the Chinese chestnut so that they acquire the blight resistance but acquire few other traits
    9apps apk

    1. User avater Moderator
      DrPulte_Moderator | | #11

      Thank you for this!

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