Before the turn of the century, the American Chestnut dominated the eastern half of the United States. This magnificent tree could attain huge size, up to five feet in diameter. It was a major provider of lumber, poles and railroad ties due to its strong and decay resistant wood. In the early 1900s blight began to attack the beautiful chestnut with a fungal disease that has almost eliminated the tree from our landscape.

With support from ArborGen, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources have worked together to use technology to save the American Chestnut. By growing the trees from a single cell, they inserted an anti-fungal gene into the chestnut tree cells. As the trees grew, the researchers infected the trees with the fungus to determine how well the tree fought off the disease. Their research continues as they must wait several years to determine if the trees are winning the fight against the disease. Then perhaps once again the stately American Chestnut will return to its place in the Appalachian mountains.