American Chestnut Story

Actual American Chestnut Tree from Mt. Airy, MD

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/

Section Overview

“Redwoods of the East”• Mature chestnuts could be

600 years old and average up to five feet in diameter and 100 feet tall

• Many specimens 8-10 feet in diameter

http://www.acf.org/Chestnut_history.htm

Historical Significance

• “…The most valuable and usable tree that ever grew in the Eastern United States.”

• Used for virtually everything, such as furniture, paneling, railroad ties, telegraph poles, and fuel.

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/

Characteristics

• Fast growing – reached half ultimate height by 20th year

• Only white pine and tulip poplar could grow taller

• Often grew branch free for 50 feet

Characteristics

• Fewer knots

• Straight-grained

• Lighter in weight

Range

• Maine to Georgia and west to Ohio and Tennessee

• Central Appalachian ridge tops appeared snow-capped in summer due to dense crowding of American Chestnuts’ creamy-white flowers

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/

Habitat

• Common on moderate slopes and other moderately dry soils

• Can basically live in all soil types, as long as it is not too wet.

Ecological Importance

• Wildlife depended on the abundant crop of chestnuts (birds, bears, squirrels)

• Many species of insects fed on the leaves, flowers, and nuts

• Livestock, particularly pigs, used as a source of fat

• Humans used as a cash crop, especially around the holidays

Demise of the Native American Chestnut

• In 1904, cankers were evident in New York City

• By 1926, the fungus was reported throughout the native range

• Some trees were still blight free due to isolation until cankers were found in 1986

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/

Population of ChestnutsToday

• Logging• Forest Fires

The blight does not kill the roots, so many sprouts

grow up from the stumps.

Sprouts from Old Stumps

• Sprouts will grow up from the stumps

• Many will die due to the blight and the cycle will repeat

• Some of the sprouts may become the size of a small tree

Present Source of Chestnut Lumber

• Bringing up submerged logs from lakes

• Recycle barns made of chestnut

• Recycle old buildings made of chestnut

Other types of Chestnut Trees

• Chinese –

• Japanese -

http://www.apsnet.org/online/feature/chestnut/

http://images.google.com/images?q=chinese+chestnut+tree&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en