Castanea stativa?

Wrangler · Dec 10, 2019

I came across this tree in a customers back yard and I have never seen one before.Does anyone recognize it and are they common in parts of the US?

KTSmith · Dec 10, 2019

From the photos, could be sweet or American chestnut. Check out:
https://www.acf.org/ky/american-chestnuts-kentucky/identifying-chestnut-tree/
and

http://www.mobot.org/plantscience/resbot/Ches/AnagnostakisIdent2010.pdf

C. sativa has been planted in the US and is out there. C. dentata, the American chestnut is locally common as saplings and small trees. Can become that size and even flower before the Chestnut blight takes over. Also the species do hybridize, frequently with infertile male flowers.

Wrangler · Dec 11, 2019

Thanks KT,that’s some really great information! I have to drop off invoice so im going to try to find some twigs,I would love to snip some off with pole pruner but im paranoid that if it is an American and inevitable happens that I would get blamed for transmitting pathogen, I do sterilize with alcohol though.Not sure how effective that is? The homestead is very old,probably early 1800’s and there is also a mature American Elm( or maybe slippery) but either way not a very common tree to find around here. The whole thing is pretty interesting to me.I am located near Southern New Jersey shore.

Amber Jones · Dec 11, 2019

I hear Lysol works to disinfect tools

Wrangler · Dec 11, 2019

I’ll try it on an older saw,the rust issue is what worries me.

KTSmith · Dec 11, 2019

There's quite a bit on the need (or not) of tool sterilization in various Treebuzz threads. I can say firmly that chestnut blight has not been shown or even suggested to be spread via pruning wounds.

Wrangler · Dec 11, 2019

KTSmith said:
There's quite a bit on the need (or not) of tool sterilization in various Treebuzz threads. I can say firmly that chestnut blight has not been shown or even suggested to be spread via pruning wounds.

It’s spread by fungal spores?

KTSmith · Dec 12, 2019

Yes, the chestnut blight fungus produces spores which infect small wounds into the secondary phloem (the inner bark). Now, I mean very small wounds, such as those caused by native insects that themselves may not be considered a pest. Some experts would say that the spores are spread by wind and rain, and this is likely true for some part of it, but I expect that the spores are themselves carried on the surfaces of the insects. So it can be less random chance and more inadvertent mutualism. Infection is not observed as associated with pruning-sized wounds.
More good info is at: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/chestnutblight.pdf.

Wrangler · Dec 13, 2019

KTSmith said:
Yes, the chestnut blight fungus produces spores which infect small wounds into the secondary phloem (the inner bark). Now, I mean very small wounds, such as those caused by native insects that themselves may not be considered a pest. Some experts would say that the spores are spread by wind and rain, and this is likely true for some part of it, but I expect that the spores are themselves carried on the surfaces of the insects. So it can be less random chance and more inadvertent mutualism. Infection is not observed as associated with pruning-sized wounds.
More good info is at: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/chestnutblight.pdf.

Thanks for the great ID information and article about the fungus that decimated these beauties! Its a sad story but it’s fascinating! I feel really blessed that I came across this tree! Im going to study and go back to attempt to ID! Just one other observation,I know there is great arborists all around this world but the New England area seems like a hot spot,they are serious about their trees up there!