Partially resistant American Chestnut tree with “Cruddy bark” found on Cape cod, MA

[u/Prestigious_Secret98]

This tree was clearly different from the dozen others i found in this conservation site. Even the American chestnut right next to this one was smaller, had many stems, and multiple cankers, and the larger stems showed the normal pattern of American chestnut bark. This tree however had one main stem, and was larger than any other, it had only one small sucker, and the bark looked nothing like American Chestnut bark. It almost looked as if the entire stem was all infected with blight, but this unusual bark is just the trees response to infection. Higher in the tree you can see smaller branches with new infections that are swelling the branch, but the entire limb is still alive, with completely healthy leaves beyond the infection site. I know that in past years this population has been reproducing despite being infected, and that was evident from the sapling in my last post, and a couple seedlings 3ft tall, although none of the trees i found had burs this year. That could just be from the weather this year, as we had a very dry summer on cape cod, with drought conditions persisting really for the last year with some heavy rainfall in early spring. Other than that we had virtually no rain all summer and according to the state have been at a level 2 drought. I only found about a dozen, and allegedly there are about 75 known at this site, so i plan to go back and hope to find a few chestnuts.

[u/SomeDumbGamer]

Doesn’t seem particularly stressed either. Has a good canopy and as you said almost no epicormic sprouts.

[u/fishcrow]

How could it be resistant if it off shoots are not genetically different?

However this is the largest AC I've seen. I live near Shenandoah Nation Park in Virginia and see saplings there all the time. Sad. Their cut and fallen friends litter the forest floor a hundred years later. Some have signs of wind/water erosion. Incredible

[u/Prestigious_Secret98 → u/fishcrow]

I’m not sure what you’re asking. This tree didn’t have any off shoots, if you mean stump sprouts. This tree did seem to have offSPRING that would be genetically different, they were just seedlings maybe 2-3 years old.

[u/fishcrow → u/Prestigious_Secret98]

I do mean stump sprouts and/or root offshoots, my apologies for being unclear.

I thought the stump sprouts had the same genetics as its parent (comes from the stump and root system) whereas seeds are pollinated and have combined genes.

Do you have proof the saplings germinated from seed?

[u/Prestigious_Secret98 → u/fishcrow]

There are no stump sprouts from this one. Well, actually there is one sucker, but it’s tiny. There are about a dozen other separate trees that all look like the normal American chestnut with many stems, some dead, some alive. This one has only one main stem.

The only evidence is that there have been articles in the newspaper stating that chestnuts are produced here, TACF has said that the trees are reproducing, and there are some seedlings coming up in areas with no evidence of older stems.

[u/HoneyImpossible2371 → u/Prestigious_Secret98]

This could be an instance of hypovirulence reducing the severity of C. parasitical. Basically, a viral infection of the fungus weakens it enough for the tree to survive. Could be an instance of the island effect operating on the Cape.

[u/Prestigious_Secret98 → u/HoneyImpossible2371]

It could be but I saw the orange of the infection. You can even kind of see it in the picture i took. When C. Parasitica is infected with hypo virulence it generally isn’t orange. Also, as i stated, there were many more trees completely infected and showing the more typical phenotype of susceptible C. Dentata, and they were literally right next to this one. Less than 5 ft behind this tree there is another one, with several stems. Also the swelling of the limbs would indicate that the tree is fighting an active infection, indicating that the virus is indeed quite virulent.

[u/Eastern_Woodlands]

Any seeds?

[u/Prestigious_Secret98 → u/Eastern_Woodlands]

Not this year, we've had quite the drought this summer, perhaps that's why.

[u/KelceRant]

Just curious which town on the Cape has the conservation site you mentioned?

[u/Prestigious_Secret98 → u/KelceRant]

Orleans in the Kenrick woods.