Source: These Nuts are Worth It — The American Chestnut Foundation This summer, we’re aiming to produce 1,000 hand-pollinated nuts for our genomic-assisted breeding program, and each one is a vital step toward restoring the American chestnut. Producing a single nut takes time, tools, and teamwork, so these nuts aren't cheap! Each one costs us about $25 to produce. From pollination to harvest, every step is a critical part of breeding a more blight-resistant tree. By sponsoring just one nut for $25, you’re helping us bring the American chestnut back to our forests. Sponsor a handful, and you’re helping to rebuild an entire ecosystem. . . . The goal is to breed a resistant, American Chestnut so the species can once again thrive in North America. Bob Wilson
an admirable goal. there seem to be two types of chestnuts around here. one with chestnuts, and one with beautiful grape like clusters of flowers in white or red
I think that's one of many propgations I got from this guy named Taghi. He passed away in March after several decades of founding the Native Plant Salvage project and propagating just about everything he got his hands on native or not. It took us months to clear out 10K planting containers, of plants and trees around his house, most of them had roots growing out of the container and deep into the earth. I suspect these baby chestnut trees were some of his very last propagations. I look forwarding to separating all these trees into their own individual containers next Winter. These trees can grow super fast century after century after century and the bigger and older they get the faster they grow. Back before the Europeans invaded and destroyed everything these were often the biggest trees on the landscape... Photos of babies I have to separate this Winter: Original Range of Chestnut Trees: What these trees looked like several centuries ago before they were destroyed:
