Salix nigra #3 (Black Willow)
October 5, 2022Dicentra eximia 3qt (Wild Bleeding Heart)
October 5, 2022Castanea dentata #3 (American Chestnut)
$39.99
-Part Sun, Full Sun, Full Shade
-Moist to Average Soil
-Acidic pH
-Formerly 100′ Tall by 100′ Wide
-Now 10-15′ Tall by 5-8′ Wide
-Formerly Broad, Wide-Spreading Crown
-Now Small, Rounded Crown and Root Sprouts
-Showy Catkins in June, July (after ~10 years)
-Black Walnut tolerant
-Zone 4
-Edible Nuts
-Medicinal Uses
-Ohio Native
Out of stock
The American Chestnut tree was once the king of the eastern forests of North America, given the nickname “Redwood of the East” because of its massive size. They are extirpated in Ohio now, due to the fungal Chestnut Blight that entered the country and spread on the wind since 1904. They are not extinct, and many efforts are being made to reestablish this magnificent tree to its native range. More can be learned about breeding American Chestnuts for blight resistance at The American Chestnut Foundation website.
A note on the American Chestnuts we offer: They are pure American Chestnuts, not hybrids, and are susceptible to the blight. These trees will not be the majestic 100′ tall Chestnuts of the pre-blight era. They will survive and even thrive for about five years, in hospitable growing conditions, before they are killed to the ground by the fungus. They will resprout and do it all over again, and again, until finally the roots are unable to maintain the loss of the top growth and it dies off entirely. These are fast-growing trees if given ample sunlight and moist but well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Pure American Chestnuts are still worth planting, says William Cullina of the New England Wild Flower Society, “as a reminder of the importance of persevering in the face of terrible odds” and because it “has that aura of tireless optimism that we Americans are famous for.”
While it is rare for the trees to mature to the age of nut production nowadays, the nuts are sweet and delicious and would feed a plethora of wild creatures. American Chestnut trees are still very useful host plants for at least 115 species of Lepidoptera, which in turn will feed many insectivorous birds and nestlings.
Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Illinois Wildflowers
Photo Credits:
Mature Winter: Rbreidbrown, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Leaf Detail: Nicholas_T on Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons