These selections come from multiple sources. The first are selections from Joseph Resch from Plant Magic Gardens (with https://www.plantmagicgardens.net/). The sources are as follows:

a.) MI State Champion Seedling: The parent trees are one 6' DBH, and one 10' DBH multi-trunk trees. They appear healthy and produce a bountiful crop despite active blight infection.

b.) TACF-verified, ACCF-bred: "The parent trees have survived blight so far to 30-60’ heights while producing seed prolifically" (Plant Availablity List | Plant Magic, 2016).

c.) TACF planting progeny

American Chestnut was once a prominent tree in our landscape. It was widely depended upon by the Passenger Pigeon, Black Bears, Turkeys, and Deer. The Cherokee, Virginia Powhattans, Creeks, and Appalachian settlers also relied upon this tree for food.

This species was impacted greatly by the Chestnut Blight; which is supposed to have been imported on C. crenata or C. mollissima nursery stock in NYC in 1904. It rapidly spread, killing many trees as it moved. Under ill-advised instruction from the USFS, many potentially resistant trees met the axe.

Works cited:

The American Chestnut Foundation. (n.d.). History of the American Chestnut. The American Chestnut Foundation. https://tacf.org/history-american-chestnut/

Chestnuts and the Introduction of Chestnut Blight. (n.d.). CT.gov - Connecticut’s Official State Website. https://portal.ct.gov/CAES/Fact-Sheets/Plant-Pathology/Chestnuts-and-the-Introduction-of-Chestnut-Blight

Castanea dentata Archives - Eat The Weeds and other things, too. (2018). Eat the Weeds and Other Things, Too. https://www.eattheweeds.com/tag/castanea-dentata/

Plant Availablity List | Plant Magic. (2016). Plant Magic. https://www.plantmagicgardens.net/plant-availablity-list

Image credit: "American Chestnut" by The original uploader was Peatcher at German Wikipedia. is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.