American Chestnut in Autumn Color

American Chestnut (Castanea dentata). Classic ocean wave edge of the American Chestnut leaf showing off in its autumn color. A short hike up the mountain and I’m able to find these beauties. Who would have guessed.

Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “American Chestnut in Autumn Color”

  1. Wow, neat!!
    A friend gave me a Chestnut tree in a pot; I don’t know what to do with it!! But I’ll find a place eventually. Wish we were closer- you could have it!

    1. Hi Jesse!

      Is your Chestnut tree in a pot an American Chestnut? If it is treasure it! Beware though that Whitetail Deer think of American Chestnut trees as candy, that might be the same with Chinese Chestnuts but I’m not sure of that. If it is a **pure** American Chestnut, plant it where it will be safe from those Whitetail Deer and enjoy it while it lives. I had about 12 pure American Chestnut trees that I planted as seedlings. About half lived for several years and some have even bloomed for me, but they all have now either died or are suffering from Chestnut Blight. Ugh. If you are extremely fortunate to have a cross back bred American/Chinese tree that has been bred to survive with strong resistance to the blight — WOW! They will grow as an understory tree just waiting for an opportunity to reach up and receive the sun’s rays and become a very very tall beautiful tree. And if you have a Chinese Chestnut tree, you’re all set. No worry about the blight! They will grow much like an apple tree in branching. Good luck with finding a place for it, and enjoy the adventure!

      Thanks bunches for reading my posts!
      Bren

Comments are closed.