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Characteristics of an
American chestnut tree
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Purdue University photo by Doug Jacobs
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The American chestnut tree, Castanea dentata, is a member of the beech family. The long slender leaves are dark green with curving edges like the teeth of a saw, and off-set by a pointed tip.
Growing as single sprouts from a decaying stump, today’s American chestnut trees do not often exceed 25-feet in height or six-inches in diameter (although there are exceptions).
Two to three nuts can develop within each prickly round husk known as a “bur.” In the fall, the burs split open, sending down to the ground a shower of shiny brown nuts.
For pictures and information about American chestnut trees, visit The American Chestnut Tree Foundation at acf.org
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It’s that time of year when yuletide carolers sing of “chestnuts roasting on an open fire,” yet it’s been more than 70 years since the American variety of this flavorful nut has graced our hearths and homes during the holiday season.
Large stands of American chestnut trees once flourished within the country’s eastern forests, which stretched from Maine to Florida and west to Indiana. Yet this giant among tree species was toppled in the early 1900s by a fungus introduced from Asia. Within 50 years, the blight destroyed an estimated 3.5 billion American chestnut trees, altering the ecosystem of this vast forest forever.
Fortunately, the future of the American chestnut tree might be getting brighter. Efforts are underway to restore this stately tree to Ohio’s woodlands and elsewhere, meaning that some day the lyrics of the popular holiday song might once again ring true.
Before the fungus, American chestnut trees were common in the eastern portion of Ohio, where they thrived amid the region’s deep valleys, high hills and winding streams. They also were planted in urban settings, such as city parks and town squares where it was not unusual for them to grow more than 80-feet tall and in excess of 6-feet in diameter.
The trees were notable for growing tall and branch-free for up to 50 feet, and rapidly regenerating after being cut. The light-weight chestnut wood was easy to work and rot resistant, making it a popular choice for use in building homes, barns, furniture, fence posts, musical instruments and much more. These qualities earned it the nickname “Redwood of the East.”
American chestnut trees also yielded an abundant nut crop that was appreciated by wildlife and people alike. It is said that in some woodlands the trees were so laden with chestnuts that in the fall the nuts dropped knee-deep around the trees. In addition to being a common ingredient in recipes of the day, chestnuts were valued as a commodity, gathered by the bushels full and sent back East to be sold by street vendors during the holidays.
Today, any chestnuts we consume have either been imported from Europe or Asia, or are the product of non-native chestnut trees cultivated by growers here in the United States.
Despite the deadly fungus, we do have American chestnut trees growing in Ohio’s woodlands. Stump sprouts are still regenerating from long dead chestnut trees, but most of these succumb to the blight before having a chance to bear fruit. According to researchers, when spores from the fungus come in contact with an American chestnut tree they cause cankers to form on the trunk and branches. Over time, the developing cankers cut off the tree’s ability to transport water and nutrients, bringing about its eventual death.
But all is not lost. Thanks to advances in science and technology, the dream of establishing disease-resistant strains of this classic American tree has never been more possible. One of the leaders spearheading Ohio’s cause is Dr. Brian McCarthy, a forest biologist at Ohio University.
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Above: American Chestnut
Below: Chinese Chestnut |
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“It’s only been recently that potentially disease-resistant strains are becoming available for restoration projects,” says McCarthy. “American chestnut trees were a critically important species to our ecosystem, and it would be quite worthwhile having them back in our landscape.”
He explains that a great deal of hope is being placed in the genetically-altered offspring of pure American chestnuts that have been crossed and re-crossed with the blight-resistant Chinese chestnut. The goal is to have a tree that is able to survive the fungus, but showcase the attributes of a pure American chestnut tree.
This past spring the Ohio Department of Natural Resources collaborated on a project to plant both hybridized and pure American chestnut seedlings on reclaimed mine lands within the Perry State Forest in Perry County, Tri-Valley State Wildlife Area in Muskingum County, and Muskingum Conservancy District property in Coshocton County.
Should their efforts bear fruit, future generations of Ohioans will be able to sing with sincerity about roasting American chestnuts over an open fire, while enjoying a few of the tasty treats at the same time.