American Chestnut and the Chestnut Blight

[Jan_]

So I recently learned about the Chestnut Blight that caused all grown Chestnuts to die. I heard that they tend to grow back from their stumps though, and that they then only get infected a couple of years into their lifespan.
Now I wonder if the Blight still exists, and if the American Chestnuts are growing back. Are there any full grown ones that you have seen, and do you know more about the current situation?

 

[JD3000]

I know of an isolated one in NW Ohio.

Basically and survivors are rare and solitary save to stump shoot clusters that dieback.

 

[Barc Buster]

I just read this recently about the American Chestnut:

Revival of the American Chestnut - American Forests

More than 100 years after a blight forced it into extinction, scientists are resurrecting the once-great American chestnut tree.

www.americanforests.org

It's worth the time.

 

[Serf Life]

Are there any full grown ones that you have seen, and do you know more about the current situation?

Biggest I saw was about 16" diameter in a big tract forest without many alternate hosts. Tallest one found in the U.S. is 115 feet tall and is in western Maine, discovered by a helicopter flight during flowering season I think. Amazing flowers on these trees and thinking about the Appalachians covered with huge trees all a-buzz with bees is pretty exciting and sad.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

There is also an island of survivors in Wisconsin

 

[GregManning]

I heard that they tend to grow back from their stumps though, and that they then only get infected a couple of years into their lifespan.

I have some of these growing from stumps. I haven't been back in the woods to check on them for several years.

 

[colb]

There is also a pocket of speciated chestnuts in Arkansas-ish - ozark.

THE OZARK CHINQUAPIN FOUNDATION – The Ozark Chinquapin Foundation; Saving An American Treasure

ozarkchinquapinmembership.org

Not sure what the above article posted by @Barc Buster says, but there are crispr-based with a gene insert on the horizon that will be 99.9%, mendelian-based 1/16 asian/american on long term research plots, and plain old 45ft Dunstan mendelian hybrid chestnuts to be had from chestnut hill nursery:

Chestnut Hill Nursery

www.chestnuthilltreefarm.com

 

[KTSmith]

There are lots of American chestnut plants out there. What the blight did was to shift the predominant growth form from a large, spreading tree that reproduces sexually to many small, multistemmed bushes and sprout clumps that reproduce vegetatively. Yes there are some large ones, usually what we call "escapes". Some flower, fruit, and produce seed.
Chestnut blight is one of the most-studied pathosystems in trees. And there is still a lot we don't know.
The whole crispr angle is interesting. A very powerful tool!

 

[Jan_]

Good to hear that these trees still exist and that there are efforts being made to bring them back to their former glory. I hear these are awesome trees if fully grown, maybe people will get to climb them again at some point in the future.

 

[Woodwork]

I bought some supposed "American Chestnut" seedlings on ebay a few years back and planted them on some land I own in coastal Virginia...I was surprised to find recently that they were still alive...

 

[oldoakman]

There is a large one located near Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain GA. 40 years ago my step parents purchased a cottage in western Maryland that was built in the mid 1920's and was paneled with wormy chestnut. It was a beautiful relaxing spot where we spent many weekends together. On a bit of a different note, a friend of mine purchased a new house last winter that has a beautiful White Ash in the yard tat was heavy with seed. Since we do not as yet have EAB I am thinking about harvesting the seed this year and freezing it in hopes that after the EAB population collapses I can start the seed.