A New Potential Mother Tree in Macon County, Tennessee
(Photos by Joe Schibig and Brent Collins, Sept. 2006)

From the left, David Overton, Brent Collins, and Talmadge Overton stand by
a fruiting American chestnut tree a few miles east of Westmoreland, Tennessee.
Brent reported the tree to Dr. Albert Meier at Western Kentucky University who
alerted me to this significant find.  In the right photo, Joe schibig sits in front of the
tree which is approximately 10 inches in diameter.

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The tree has blight on the trunk, but we will inject it with systemic fungicide hoping
it will protect the tree.

The tree was loaded with burs.

The property owner, Alton Brawner, stands next to a seedling from the big tree.  Out of 48
seeds, only this one germinated and survived.  The low survival rate is probably due to the
big tree's isolation and self fertilization which usually produces no viable seeds  Two chestnut
 trees in close proximity are usually necessary for cross pollination to produce viable progeny.

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