I'm looking for a nursery that has American Chestnut seedlings or nuts.....

Don't want any of the hybrid crosses or Chineese chestnuts. I've checked ACF and the TyTy Georgia nursery... and Google.

Any ideas?

You do realize that we thought the American chestnut was EXTINCT for decades, right? They only recently found a group of them still living and are keeping the location secret to prevent exploitation while they try to preserve the species.

American Chestnuts are even worse than the American Elms about getting the blight.  They get big enough to be hard to cut down and clean up before they get it too.<G>

Dennis Jenkins

Quoted: I'm looking for a nursery that has American Chestnut seedlings or nuts..... Don't want any of the hybrid crosses or Chineese chestnuts. I've checked ACF and the TyTy Georgia nursery... and Google. Any ideas?

Actually the tree is not "extinct."  99.999% were wiped out, but there are several pockets of survivors.   Seems like the blight did not hit the far west as hard also.

If found some seedlings at Cold Steam Farms.

Thanks!

THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION
469 Main Street, Suite 1, P.O. Box 4044
Bennington, Vermont 05201
802-447-0110 ~ fax 802-442-6855 ~ e-mail TACF

The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization funded primarily by over 5,600 American and International members. Our goal is to restore the American chestnut tree to its native forests through a scientific research and breeding program developed by TACF's founders.TACF has received funding support from the National Forest Foundation for research to restore the American chestnut tree to its native woodlands. The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages America in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 192 million-acre National Forest System, and accepts and administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests.
http://www.acf.org/

Quoted: Actually the tree is not "extinct."  99.999% were wiped out, but there are several pockets of survivors.   Seems like the blight did not hit the far west as hard also. If found some seedlings at Cold Steam Farms. Thanks!

Didn't say it was extinct, I said they thought it was for quite a while.

Maybe we just disagree on the meaning of extinct.

But it would be a pretty good trick for any species to come back from being extinct...

My buddy works for the National Park Services and has a degree in Fish and Wildlife Management.

He said that if they ever got the American Chestnut back in numbers there would be a boom in wildlife. He said there was some numbers predicted but didn't give me any.

Makes sense, a large chestnut makes a lot of food for critters.


There is one ragged looking tree at the edge of a parking lot where I work.  I keep an eye on it, there are some small seedlings aroudn it.

Quoted: You do realize that we thought the American chestnut was EXTINCT for decades, right? They only recently found a group of them still living and are keeping the location secret to prevent exploitation while they try to preserve the species.

Some of what you say is fact and some is fiction.

I have an American chestnut tree in my front yard.  It is 10-15 years old and doing well for now but the blight does not tend to hit them until they are more mature.  

I heard they found a virgin stand of mature ones up in Michigan somewhere.....

Quoted: Maybe we just disagree on the meaning of extinct. But it would be a pretty good trick for any species to come back from being extinct...

Coelacanth. Touted for many years as the fishy ancestor of land-dwelling creatures. I actually still have a book that claims it used its lobed fins to climb onto land and breathe air.

Funny how we discovered that not only did they NOT die out millions of years ago, but they continue to live today unchanged from the fossil record... and they're deep sea fish, totally unable to approach land. I guess when your 'science' is based more on imagination and wishful thinking that actual science, you can come up with anything to fit your ideas.

There was also a possum, I think in Australia, known only from fossil records until somebody mailed a live one to some scientists. He'd found it digging through his trash.

And they've discovered that ladderback woodpeckers are not extinct, merely endangered.

Heck, there's even evidence (though I doubt it's anything more than wishful thinking) that tasmanian tigers may still exist.

And then there's that 'species' I forget the name of that they thought was extinct until they discovered they could simply make more by selectively breeding certain zebras.

Species make a comeback from extinction, or at least proven to still be alive and kicking to a limited degree, fairly often.If we do our job of preserving them, maybe we can keep them around for a while longer.

American chestnuts are making a comback.  As Heavymetal said the blight only kills the trunk.  Usually the tree will live for 6 years or so and die and the roots will sprout back up again.

What I believe is happening is that the tree is starting to become more and more resistant to the fungus.  I have seen more and more trees that have grown more than 40ft high and reach 8" in diameter.

Virginia Tech has been spear heading research in the American chestnut.
www.forestry.vt.edu/

ETA they were never extenct, they were never whipped out.  They just were unable to sustain themselves as a dominate canopy tree.  They are a major understory tree, you can find them every where.  Those that were dominate had their trunks killed the roots never died.

Hey, my father in-law just bought a couple acres down the road from me. We were walking the property in October and found what we think were American Chesnuts on it. We picked up a few nuts and his father id them as Americans. I'm off this Thurs-Sun. If you like I'll go to the property and see if the nuts are still on the ground. Ill send 'em to you if you like.

How many do you need?

Quoted: I am sure either I or VTHOKIESHOOTER could ID them. Proabally a good pic of the seed and pod would be enough.

I pic of the tree would help as well.

Quoted: Quoted: I am sure either I or VTHOKIESHOOTER could ID them. Proabally a good pic of the seed and pod would be enough. I pic of the tree would help as well.

Should the nuts still be on the ground?

I'll take a pic of the tree...close up uf the tree bark???

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am sure either I or VTHOKIESHOOTER could ID them. Proabally a good pic of the seed and pod would be enough. I pic of the tree would help as well. Should the nuts still be on the ground? I'll take a pic of the tree...close up uf the tree bark???

*If* is is a fruit bearing chestnut the nuts are most likely already eaten by animals.  Take a pic of the whole tree, the bark and if you can get a close up pic of the buds that would help a lot.

Also, where is this tree located?

Is Chestnut wood useful?

Quoted: Is Chestnut wood useful?

If you can find it in old barns or homes it is EXTREMELY valuable.  Otherwise you will never see a tree large enough to produce any lumber.  Back in the hay-day it was the most valuable timber tree species in the Appalachians.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I am sure either I or VTHOKIESHOOTER could ID them. Proabally a good pic of the seed and pod would be enough. I pic of the tree would help as well. Should the nuts still be on the ground? I'll take a pic of the tree...close up uf the tree bark??? *If* is is a fruit bearing chestnut the nuts are most likely already eaten by animals.  Take a pic of the whole tree, the bark and if you can get a close up pic of the buds that would help a lot. Also, where is this tree located?

New Hope about 15mins from Staunton.

I compared the leaves and nut with some pictures from the web back in October...from what I saw it was an American.

BTW the area the trees are in is very dense. The trees are pretty thin but tall.

Quoted: I compared the leaves and nut with some pictures from the web back in October...from what I saw it was an American. BTW the area the trees are in a vert dense. The trees are pretty thin but tall.

Is the tree in the forest (aka off the beaten path) or located near a road, barn, house or old home site.


Thin and tall, sounds like a match so far.

Quoted: Is Chestnut wood useful?

it was so rot resistant, when I was a boy I recalled seeing massive stumps where the trees had been cut decades before...

Quoted: Quoted: I compared the leaves and nut with some pictures from the web back in October...from what I saw it was an American. BTW the area the trees are in a vert dense. The trees are pretty thin but tall. Is the tree in the forest (aka off the beaten path) or located near a road, barn, house or old home site. Thin and tall, sounds like a match so far.

The trees are a hundred or so feet of the road. The area probably was an old home site. Some old fencing runs on it. An older farm house is nearby.