American Chestnut—hybrid tree might not succumb to fungus
By JOHANNE KITTLE, PLANT RESCUE TEAM MEMBER

It seems that Southern Appalachian roots are tied to Chestnut roots. I wish we could have seen the magnificent tree in its glory when it occupied 25% of the hardwood forests. Many readers responded to the first article. Here are some of the questions and answers.

There are mature Chestnut trees near Wayah Bald, NC— about 1/2 way up the path from the parking lot on the left and some more where the Appalachian Trail meets the Bartram trail. The picture in this article is of a tree that Harold Dyer found near Jack’s Gap in GA. It is 48 feet tall. The Forest Service identified it as a hybrid tree so unfortunately it is not a pure breed American Chestnut, but fortunately for the tree it might not succumb to the fungus.

One reader told me about his turn-of-the-century lodge in Andrews, NC which is constructed with chestnut wood. He has about a dozen hybrid chestnut trees that are starting to bear fruit and invites other interested readers to come and see them. The trees are Dunstan hybrids and you can read more about this hybrid at http://www.chestnuthilltreefarm. com/page7.html. The lodge is Glen Choga and is on Little Choga road off Junaluska Rd.

Many of the answers list a website for more information. If you do not have a computer or internet access, there is a great way for you to get the information—our libraries in the area have free access to the internet. I encourage you to go and see how easy it is! For those that do have internet access and would like an electronic copy of the answers (so you do not have to type in all the websites), send an email to billjokitt@dnet.net and I will send you an electronic copy.

Thanks go to Doug Gillis of the Carolina American Chestnut Foundation (ACF) for providing the informed answers to the questions.

I have a Chestnut tree in my yard. How can I care for it so it will grow and not succumb to the fungus? Is there anything I can do to help it fight the fungus?

First, the tree should be identified. Is it a pure American chestnut, a Chinese,

or some other variety? Self identification can be done using information from the site http://www.acf.org/find_a_tree. htm. Leaf identification is one of the best ways but obviously would have to wait until spring. This site also has instructions on how to send samples for identification to the national organization.

The Carolinas Chapter of the ACF provides a form for sending in samples to be tested, particularly for flowering trees. Go to http://www.carolinastacf. org/join.html#report for instructions. The sending in of samples for identification (with leaves pressed between paper) would be reserved for what appear to be pure American chestnut trees that are of some size and flowering.

If the tree is American or European, it will be susceptible to the chestnut bark fungus. Since the fungus does not live in the soil, "mud packing" is a technique that can be used to treat the fungus. You can read about “mud packing” at http://masschestnut.org/mudpa ckingCankers.php .

How can I buy Chestnut trees?

American chestnut seeds and seedlings can be purchased through the American Chestnut Foundation (ACF). Instructions for planting are provided. The seeds and seedlings are 100% American chestnut and there is no guarantee that they will not succumb to the chestnut bark fungus. Go to http://www.acf.org/seeds_seedl ings.htm for information on ordering from the ACF. In NC, deadline dates for spring delivery is March 1 and for GA, deadline dates in Oct. 1 for winter delivery.

Hybrid nuts and seedlings being produced by the American Chestnut Foundation and its growers are not available to the public at this time. They should be available to the public within 5 to 15 years after more development work is done on various lines.

http://www.chestnuthilltreefarm. com/page7.html tells about Dunstan hybrid trees and how to buy them. For other suppliers go to http://www.utc.edu/Faculty/Hil l-Craddock/sources.html#trees to see a list provided by Hill Craddock of the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.

How high does a tree need to grow to have nuts?

There is no firm rule about size or age of tree before it produces nuts. Five to seven years is likely a minimum age and 12 to 15 feet in height, a typical minimum size. Growing conditions are important to the success of individual trees.

An article about growing chestnut trees can be found at http://www.caes.state.ct.us/Fac tSheetFiles/PlantPathology/fsp p064f.htm.

Is there any email list that will give updates to the progress on the chestnut trees?

There is not an email list for progress reports. The best way to stay posted is to join the ACF and one of its Chapters. See http://www.acf.org/join.htm to join the ACF (which includes membership in GA or NC/SC chapters).

What is the best way to record where you see a chestnut tree on a hiking trail?

The best way to record the location is to use a GPS unit to record coordinates at the tree. Other ways are to mark the location on a trail map and write a description of how to find the tree later. Photographs of the location and of the tree also are helpful. The owner of Glen Choga

lodge quoted his father saying “Our mountains are beautiful but you should have seen them when the Chestnuts were in the forest”. He said he hopes he

does not have to tell his children “Our mountains are beautiful but you should have seen them when the Hemlocks were in the forest”.

Our plant rescue team is working to preserve our native plants. If you are interested in the Plant Rescue Team, contact Jennifer Cordier (706-745-9317)

ivylog@alltel.net or you can contact me, Johanne Kittle (828- 389-0814) billjokitt@dnet.net. The Plant Rescue Team is under the auspices of the GA Mountain

Research and Education Center. Our motto is “An earth friendly approach to land usage without restricting property owner rights”.