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On October
3rd, Dave Keehn, the chapter’s Chestnut Location Chair, held a
chestnut identification workshop at his home in Epworth. Dave created
an informative display of leaf samples from several chestnut species,
including American Chestnuts. The display included leaves from some
unrelated species that may be mistaken for chestnut as well as twig
and bur samples and some printed handouts. After the presentation,
Dave took everyone on a hike around his property to view chestnut
stump sprouts and other trees. Among the trees were an unusually
large, blight free, nut producing Allegheny chinkapin
(Castanea pumila) and, right next to
it, a 15 foot American chestnut that hopefully will flower next
spring.
Dave will be
organizing chestnut hunting expeditions beginning in the Spring.
Several members have already expressed an interest in participating
in these. If you or anyone else you know of is interested in
participating and you have not already done so, please contact Dave
at (770) 649-9315 or
keehn@bellsouth.net . Please contact him as well if you know of
any large and/or flowering and/or “high potential” American chestnut
trees in Georgia. High potential trees are, generally speaking,
those that are at least 10 feet in height, 2 inches or more in
diameter and exposed to full sun.
While we would
love to find large, surviving “mother trees”, these are exceedingly
rare. Any flowering, 100% American chestnut tree native to Georgia
(versus planted trees of unknown origin) will provide the sought
after genetic strain to crossbreed with TACF pollen to create a
Georgia variety of blight resistant chestnut. With a little luck,
we’ll have our first nuts next Fall!
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