The great tragedy of the American Chestnut tree.

[Dave...]

I always wondered why the drawings of Daniel Boone and early settlers showed giant trees. They seemed to by in an area that was nothing like the Appalachians that I understood. I always chalked it up to greedy lumber companies. But this is amazing history and a warning of the damage one could create by importing foreign plants and seeds. We are even carful with taking cut wood across state lines these days. We have many foreign species in the great lakes. Pine beetles everywhere now. For as tough as this planet is, it's eco system is sometimes very fickle.

 

[jakethebaptist]

The good news is that there has recently been some breakthroughs in developing American Chestnut trees that are resistant to the disease.

Restore the American Chestnut
A revolutionary approach to saving chestnut trees from extinction

On a side note, a couple of weeks ago I had roasted chestnuts for the first time. Now I get the appeal and the Christmas song!

 

[JonC]

The good news is that there has recently been some breakthroughs in developing American Chestnut trees that are resistant to the disease.

Restore the American Chestnut
A revolutionary approach to saving chestnut trees from extinction

On a side note, a couple of weeks ago I had roasted chestnuts for the first time. Now I get the appeal and the Christmas song!

When I was in Germany I always looked forward to the Christmas marts and the roasted chestnuts.

 

[Dave...]

The good news is that there has recently been some breakthroughs in developing American Chestnut trees that are resistant to the disease.

Restore the American Chestnut
A revolutionary approach to saving chestnut trees from extinction

On a side note, a couple of weeks ago I had roasted chestnuts for the first time. Now I get the appeal and the Christmas song!

I've heard about this. I think I seen a video about a field somewhere where they are growing them and trying to break through and find one tree that can withstand the fungus. Something like that. Eventually they'll have a seed that can take on that fungus that killed the original ones. The Appalachians would have been a sight to see back in the day.

 

[JonC]

So the fungus came from imported lumber....like cut lumber or planted trees for lumber?

 

[Dave...]

So the fungus came from imported lumber....like cut lumber or planted trees for lumber?

They say that the American chestnut was amazing for railroad ties, constructing fences, houses. Very durable. Some guy got the idea to import some Asian Chestnut tree seeds for some reason. Maybe they grew faster, I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure it's in the video. With those Asian seeds came the fungus that the Asian Chestnut was immune to, but the American Chestnut was wiped out by it.

 

[JonC]

They say that the American chestnut was amazing for railroad ties, constructing fences, houses. Very durable. Some guy got the idea to import some Asian Chestnut tree seeds for some reason. Maybe they grew faster, I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure it's in the video. With those Asian seeds came the fungus that the Asian Chestnut was immune to, but the American Chestnut was wiped out by it.

Thank you. Seems like a lot of our "good ideas" were not so good.