I must have passed this tree hundreds of times over the years during my neighborhood walks with my wife.  During the temperate seasons, we walk almost nightly.  I've noticed its unusual bark having deep fissures on many occasions and wondered about its species.  Imagine my surprise - and delight - to see the telltale spiny, green burrs this summer while doing laps with my wife.  It's an American Chestnut! 

The burrs are quite prolific, littering the ground near the based of the tree.  Since I have never noticed them previously, the tree must be around 7 years old as this is the average age when production begins.

While I was quite excited about having an endangered species so close to home, I had to temper this feeling as the trunk is showing advanced signs of the blight. You can see in the photo above, the deep fissures that result from the blight.  Eventually, the tree becomes girdled and will die.  As long as it is alive though, I'm committed to do what I can to preserve this piece of history.

My personal "Johnny Appleseed" project has now been officially expanded to include this American Chestnut.  Scouring the ground near the tree, I was able to collect about 50 nuts as you see in the photo above.  I was only able to find one complete burr, so I also have a full nut.  Come springtime, I'll plant a dozen or so and see if I can nurse along some seedlings.  Fingers crossed.

With more than 10,000 tree species on the planet, I'm sure there is one or two in your neighborhood that you can't identify.  How about taking the family for a walk around the block with your eyes toward the trees?  Who knows, that unusual tree on the edge of your property could be a struggling American Chestnut - TACF would love to hear from you. You know you can do it!