Recent Chestnut Photos (Winter 2004)
by
Joe Schibig unless otherwise indicated
Clint Neel reports another chestnut from Bedford Co., Tn. (Photo by Clint Neel, Jan. 23, 2004)
David Cleek, property owner, stands next to a cankered American chestnut which refuses to die. David's brother, J. B. found the tree. Three stems, each about 6 inches dbh, are deceased but several small live sprouts persist (largest one with a dbh of 2.5 inches). Without the American chestnut's ability to sprout from the root collar, this species would have all but died out 50 years ago. There is another cankered chestnut on the same ridge that yielded nuts last fall after being artificially pollinated in June, 2003. David says this ridge was once full of large chestnut trees and farm children would not walk barefoot in the chestnut woods in the fall; the spines of the burs pierce the skin all too easily.
Chestnut enthusiasts obtain scions from the champion American chestnut in Tennessee (photos on Jan. 3, 2004)
From left to right: Seth Weaver, Kelley Burgess (property owner) and his dog, Mark Vance, Jack Torkelson, Ed Greenwell (Tennessee Coordinator of the American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation), Greg Weaver, and Liam Weaver. On a balmy January day in Jackson County, we visited the largest American chestnut known to us in Tennessee; it stands 55 feet tall and has a dbh of 23 inches. This brauny chestnut which has successfully battled the blight for many years is perched on an upper slope at an elevation of 1000 feet near Nameless, Tennessee. Because of its size, age, and apparent disease resistance (swollen cankers abound), we want to clone this awesome chestnut. In the photo below, Ed Greenwell selects suitable twigs for grafting after Mark had clipped a small branch with a telescopic 30-foot pruning pole. More information and photos of the big Jackson County tree are at: http://www2.volstate.edu/JSchibig/Recentchestnutphotosfall2002winter2003.htm
The second largest American chestnut in Tennessee known to us is at Edgar Evins State Park (Photo on Jan. 3, 2004)
The impressive American chestnut behind Ed Greenwell was discovered in Edgar Evins State Park last summer; it is also perched on an upper slope (elevation approximately 1000 feet). This tree is about 70 feet tall and has a dbh of 17.4 inches. Though blighted and attacked by gall wasps, it appears reasonably healthy. More information and photos of this tree are at: http://www2.volstate.edu/JSchibig/Recentchestnutphotosspringsummer2003.htm