Nice American chestnut in Montreat, NC

[Will Blozan]

NTS,

One of my clients in Montreat, NC has a magnificent specimen of American chestnut that although infected with blight, has a perfect crown and tons of burs. Last year's burs are littering the ground- likely 200 or more- and some still have nuts. I plan to harvest some nuts this fall. The American Chestnut Foundation came up on Friday to see the tree and they plan to collect pollen from it next spring. I measured the diameter at 9.5" and it stands 47.4' tall.

               

                       

                                               

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Will

[Rand]

Oh, nice one.

Looking at the canker, the swelling around the outside should be a sign of healing.  Cross your fingers I guess.

Did you find a nearby tree that pollinates this one?

[James Parton]

Awesome!! I'll have to meet up with you sometime and see this one. One with viable nuts is rare.

[bbeduhn]

Will,
I found a large chestnut in Woodfin, just off the highway.  I haven't measured it yet but it appears to be about40' tall with a 15-18" diameter.  It was in full bloom when I first noticed it.  It's in a fenced yard.  I'll see if I can measure it soon.
Brian

[Will Blozan]

Rand,

American chestnuts are common in the area so pollen would not be a problem.

James,

Just give a call sometime and I'll take you up.

Brian,

Do you think it is an American? That is huge!

Will

[jamesrobertsmith]

Question: Is the chestnut healing over? If so, does that indicate blight resistance?

I read that the European chestnut recovered when a virus spontaneously appeared that attacks and kills the blight. Is this true?

[Rand]

Question: Is the chestnut healing over? If so, does that indicate blight resistance?

It could be.  From my general reading on the subject (ACF literature), they say that healing cankers are swollen with fewer spore producing bodies.  However they also say that there are different strains of blight out there, some more virulent than others.  

From my own limited experience I have seen cankers briefly stabilize with swollen calloused boundaries, but then the blight can 'break out' again and still kill the tree.  The canker in the picture looks to me like it is starting to heal, but I don't have enough experience to say for sure.  I guess time will tell.  

I read that the European chestnut recovered when a virus spontaneously appeared that attacks and kills the blight. Is this true?

I've read the same thing.  They say it works in europe because hypovirulence arose soon after the blight itself appeared.  As a result, the blight had less time to differentiate into different strains (as it has done here) making it easier for the virus to spread through the entire population of the blight.  They also speculated that the European chestnut might be less susceptible to the blight than the american.

[bbeduhn]

Will,
I'm not 100% sure that it is American.  It certainly appears so.  There isn't a good place to park so I haven't stopped to make sure.  It was absolutely covered in catkins about six weeks ago.  I'll check it out very soon and try to get a measurement.
Brian