To the Point
American Chestnuts Growing Poised for Comeback
Chestnut trees used to be called "the Redwoods of the East," and they made up 35 percent of northeastern American forests. But in 1904, a fungus began to appear, and what's called "chestnut blight" killed some 3.5 billion trees by 1940. The ones we get now are imported. But there could be good news for Christmas fireplaces in the near future.
By Warren Olney • • 1 min readChestnut trees used to be called "the Redwoods of the East," and they made up 35 percent of northeastern American forests. But in 1904, a fungus began to appear, and what's called "chestnut blight" killed some 3.5 billion trees by 1940. The ones we get now are imported. But there could be good news for Christmas fireplaces in the near future. There is an American Chestnut Foundation, and it doesn't exist to mourn the dead. It's planning a restoration. Its president is Bryan Burhans.
