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No More Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire

Resources: Community

American chestnut tree
American chestnut tree

70 years after the lyrics “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire” made their way into our homes the song is still deeply ingrained in our holiday music and traditions. However, what most people don’t know is that American Chestnuts, the staple of early 20th century Christmas winter traditions*, have been nearly wiped out.

The American chestnut used to be the most common hardwood tree in the Eastern United States making roasted chestnuts a common snack. American Chestnuts ranged from Maine to Georgia, and west to the prairies of Indiana and Illinois. It was estimated that in the Appalachian Mountains one in every four hardwood was an American chestnut. Billions of Chestnut trees used to cover the rolling hills of our eastern forests. Mature trees could live up to 600 years, grow up to 100 feet tall, and averaged a 5-foot diameter. Their white flowers, which bloomed in the spring, were said to create a splendid view. Naturalist Donald Culross Peattie once described the sight, “their creamy June bloom so festooned the eastern hardwood forests that they looked from afar like a sea with white combers plowing across its surface.”

American chestnut tree in bloom
American chestnut tree in bloom

The American Chestnut Blight

In 1904, a blight imported on Asian chestnuts began to take a toll on the American chestnut. This blight was first noticed on the American chestnuts trees in the New York Zoological Park, now known as the Bronx Zoo. While Chinese chestnut trees weren’t very vulnerable to the blight, American chestnuts had little resistance and succumbed quickly. By 1950, four short years after Nat King Cole’s song debuted, the destruction was complete. The once most predominant and majestic tree of our Eastern forests has been reduced to a handful of pre-blight survivors struggling to survive in the wild today.

The Impact On America

The loss of the American chestnut has a great impact on wildlife and the industries of business built around them. At the turn of the 20th century, American chestnuts were ranked as the most important plant in the eastern US. Chesnuts supported numerous wildlife species including, bear, deer, squirrels, wild turkey, birds and small mammals.

Rural towns depended on the nuts to support their farming and economy. Chestnuts were relied on to fatten livestock and were a major cash crop shipped into the big cities for the holidays. The timber industry was also affected by the loss of the American chestnut. As one of their best products, chestnut timber was used in the making of telegraph poles, railroad ties, heavy construction, shingles, paneling, fine furniture, musical instruments, even pulp and plywood.

Today’s American Chestnut Progress800px-american_chestnut

Thankfully, Scientists have not given up on the American chestnut. Numerous foundations are working on ways to bring back the American chestnut.

  • The American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation is working on breeding surviving American chestnuts that have shown some native resistance to the blight.
  • The American Chestnut Foundation is working on backcrossing blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts and American chestnuts so that the new trees have the growth characteristics and genetic makeup of American chestnuts with the addition of the Chinese chestnut’s blight resistance.
  • Researchers at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF), are working on genetically modifying American chestnut genes to include oxalate oxidase, an enzyme that acts as a fungal defense (found in strawberries, bananas, oats, barley, and other cereals).

Researchers are cautiously optimistic that through these tactics the American chestnut can be restored to its former glory. However, as the lyrics “chestnuts roasting on an open fire” echo throughout your home this holiday season, let them be a haunting reminder to cherish the environment because, Who knows? Your favorite tree or plant species might not survive through the next decade.

*If you want to carry on the holiday tradition of roasting chestnuts, don’t fret. Until the resurgence of American Chestnuts occurs, families can count on roasting the European and Chinese Chestnut varieties.

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Grey Burkhart
Grey Burkhart
March 29, 2022.
Verified
Very professional review of our requirements and an accurate estimate. Showed up on time and were finished quickly. Cleaned up all of the debris and sawdust. Great job all around.
Dennis Bruns
Dennis Bruns
March 8, 2022.
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We have used RTEC Treecare for several years. They do excellent work. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and take great care in explaining the various options available for your particular situation. I highly recommend them.
Annette Iannucci
Annette Iannucci
February 23, 2022.
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We have been using RTEC for years and were very pleased with the recent tree maintenance work they did for us. As always, we got good advice from their arborist Ben,. The crew that did the work is highly skilled, and they did a great job trimming our trees. They worked safely and efficiently, in addition to leaving the yard clean after they finished the work.
Susan Crawford
Susan Crawford
January 26, 2022.
Verified
RTEC was at my house today to removed a large Magnolia that was badly damaged by the recent snow. They did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. They arrived right on time, worked efficiently and quickly and cleaned up so well it was hard to tell anything have been disturbed. Over the past several years, I have used RTEC for all the services I checked above, and have always been very pleased with their service and professionalism. I also appreciate that they are not eager to take down trees that don't need to come down. In this case, the damage was too extensive for the tree to recover.
Kenton Morgan
Kenton Morgan
January 20, 2022.
Verified
Once again, RTEC has done a great job. The team showed up right on time and performed all the work that we agreed to. They kept us informed as to progress, coordinated with us concerning our maple, and made recommendations concerning ongoing support for our trees. At the end of the day, they thoroughly cleaned up the debris and left our yard in pristine condition. WELL DONE.
Jean Kluttz
Jean Kluttz
January 3, 2022.
Verified
Not our first time but this time was tricky removal of a large dead tree leaning on a healthy tree. Quick response for estimate, good timing to removal, all clear and healthy tree still fine.
Jerry Haggin
Jerry Haggin
December 16, 2021.
Verified
Very good work while ensuring that I was aware of status of my work order and planned completion.
Mike Iger
Mike Iger
December 16, 2021.
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David Roberts
David Roberts
December 15, 2021.
Verified
We’ve used RTEC for many years for tree maintenance and can’t say enough good things about their service. We use them for tree trimming and for regular treatments to maintain our trees’ health and deal with pests and prevent disease. Their arborist Ben has been especially helpful with advice. RTEC also been especially helpful in emergency situations, once coming to cable a massive, heritage oak in our yard right before a hurricane was about to hit. Highly recommend.
Travis Larson
Travis Larson
December 10, 2021.
Verified
RTEC did an excellent job onsite of removing dead branches from our 80+ year old trees, and trimming other growth too close to our home.
Google rating score: 4.8 of 5, based on 185 reviews.

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