American Chestnut

American Chestnut - Castanea dentata

Here's a story for you - sad but a bit hopeful too. In the early 1900's chestnut blight was brought over to North America from Asia on nursery stock and began to spread through the American Chestnut trees that lived on the eastern side of the continent. The blight didn't bother the Asian chestnuts, but by the mid-century it had wiped out most of the mature American Chestnuts on this continent. These trees were huge - 100 ft tall citizens of the Eastern forests - calorie dense and delicious food for wildlife and people.

There have been, and continue to be great efforts made to bring back the American Chesnut, to breed resistance into its genetics. We're getting close!

Growing and selling American Chestnuts this year is my humble addition to that work. Perhaps one or more of my babies will prove resistant!