Extremely rare, but they do exist. American Chestnut (Chestanea dentata).
Before 1904, this fast growing, tall tree ruled swaths of eastern US forests. I mention the year 1904 because that is when the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) was first discovered at the New York Zoological Gardens. The blight was introduced to the US by accident from East Asia and it nearly wiped out the whole population of these wonderful trees over the course of just a few decades.
It brings great delight to me though, when I find a large American Chestnut tree growing in the woods. They are truly rare but they are out there.
The American Chestnut Foundation is working diligently to develop a tree that will survive. I have great hope that they will see success and again American Chestnuts will survive in great numbers in our woods.
2 responses to “Extremely Rare”
How wonderful. How tall is it?
Hi Barb!
The American Chestnut grows 2 or 3 feet per year and gets to be 50 to 75 feet but is able to reach 80 to 100 feet tall. I planted several wild American Chestnuts in my front yard and they certainly did grow that quickly. But of course the ones I had succumbed to the blight, but not before getting to be perhaps 15 feet tall and blooming for me.
There are a few large wild American Chestnut trees on a friend’s property at the bottom of my mountain and he has planted some seeds from The American Chestnut Foundation. There are also some large wild trees here and there throughout the area. FEW, but they are there!
Thanks bunches for reading my posts Barb!
Bren