A (Blight Resistant) American Chestnut Grows in Larchmont

by Judy Silberstein

(May 8, 2008) A Larchmont bar mitzvah boy, two Cornell alumnae, the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE ) of Westchester and the Larchmont Parks and Trees Committee are partnering in a scientific experiment aimed at reintroducing the American chestnut tree into its former natural habitat. The Larchmont part of the project is beginning with one tiny sapling planted on Friday, May 2 in Addison Park across from Chatsworth School. The little tree is 100% American chestnut, descended from trees that showed resistance to a blight that wiped out billions of similar trees from Maine to Florida beginning in 1904.

As part of a Bar Mitvah project, Noah Goodman helped plant an American Chestnut in Addison Park.

The Addison Park tree already has its own fan base. As part of his bar mitzvah project, Noah Goodman volunteered to dig the hole and plant the tree. He was cheered by NY State Assemblyman George Latimer and Larchmont Village Trustees Marlene Kolbert and Richard Ward. Supervising the installation was Parks and Trees Chair Jan Feinman, who has recently received certification through CCE’s tree steward program and will be monitoring the tree for signs of disease.

Also watching over the planting were Noah’s mom, Jane Lipman, and Elisabeth Radow, both Cornell graduates supporting the experiment out of interest in the environment and in honor of their alma mater’s connection with the American chestnut. Ms. Radow previously contributed a 12-foot American chestnut planted in White Plains to honor of Cornell University's founder, Ezra Cornell. She is working to have similar trees planted in other regions where Cornell Cooperative Extensions are available to monitor the trees.

Andrew Buttafusca from the Larchmont Department of Public Works was on hand to help maneuver the little tree into its planting hole. He showed Noah how to augment the soil and then mound it in and around the sapling to create a generous well for holding water. He then topped off the dirt with mulch and, for extra protection, surrounded the tree with a fence he constructed from wooden poles and police caution tape.

Andrew Buttafusco helped Noah mulch around the new tree.

According to Ms. Radow, the ACF has been working to develop resistant trees and will be following the progress of the Larchmont chestnut. Should it succumb to blight, the ACF will replace it with their “next, stronger attempt at a blight resistant tree. This will continue until a completely blight resistant tree is developed.”

At one time, American chestnuts comprised 20% of the American forest in the northeast. A fungus imported to this country on Asian chestnut trees was responsible for killing off as many as 4 billion trees from Maine to Florida. The fungus continues to infect the forests, choking off new trees that sprout from the roots of old, diseased ones.

The Chinese chestnut is naturally resistant to the blight, and by cross-breeding American and Chinese trees, scientists have been able to produce resistant trees that are 50% American and 50% Chinese. Successive cross-breeding allow them to develop 100% American chestnuts with a high degree of blight resistance. However, only time can tell if a particular sapling – like the one in Addison Park - will continue to fend off the fungus as it grows.

Want to learn more? Ms. Radow has donated a copy of Might Giants, An American Chestnut Anthology to the Larchmont Library. Want to contribute? Andersons Book Store is selling copies of the book, with 100% of the sale proceeds going to the American Chestnut Foundation. More information is at http://www.acf.org.

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