Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;

ChestnutCourtesy Jaydot

At the end of April, President Bush marked Arbor Day by planting an American chestnut tree on the White House lawn. What makes this small piece of political theater significant is that the chestnut—a beautiful native tree which featured prominently in art and literature—was virtually wiped out by disease.

In 1900, chestnut trees spread from Maine to Mississippi. By 1950, some 99% of them had died of chestnut blight, a fungus introduced from China. A few isolated populations hung on, primarily in remote regions of the Appalachian Mountains.

In recent years, scientists have worked hard to breed a disease-resistant strain. They've taken surviving chestnuts and crossed them with Chinese chestnuts, which have a natural resistance to the disease. The result is a new American chestnut that can withstand the blight.

Chestnuts may never dominate our Eastern forests again. But some day, we may again enjoy the majestic tree that inspired so many poets and painters.

There are lots of articles on the web about chestnut blight and the recovery effort. Check out a couple of good, readable summaries from
Plant Pathology Online and Sam Cox at the Colorado State University.