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American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)

American Chestnut (Castanea dentata)

Regular price $150.00 USD
Regular price Sale price $150.00 USD
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Once an important hardwood timber tree, the American Chestnut is highly susceptible to chestnut blight, caused by an Asian bark fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) accidentally introduced into North America in the early 1900’s. Although the tree still exists in the eastern US as stump sprouts, it is nearly non-existent as a seed-producing tree.

One of the most rapidly growing hardwood trees in North America, reaching up to 150ft tall and 10 ft in diameter. It formerly ranged from Maine and southern Ontario to Mississippi, and from the Atlantic coast to the Ohio Valley. It is now widespread throughout North America.

The American Chestnut is a prolific bearer of nuts enclosed in a spiny green burr. Typically flowering around 4th of July in Wisconsin, the nuts develop through late summer and the burrs open in late September to early October.

If you live outside of the chestnut’s historic range, or have no chestnut stump sprouts growing in the woods nearby, it is worth planting American chestnut. American chestnut will in all likelihood eventually get the blight and the top die back to the roots periodically.

Our seed comes from blight-free nurseries in Oregon and Washington.

Help preserve one of America’s most threatened trees species by planting more! 

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