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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
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