It's now a countdown of just days before pre-bagging the Chestnut flowers to avoid open pollination. Have you seen a tree with these leaves and flowers?
Click Photo for full-sized image.
American chestnut flowering photo courtesy of CT-TACF Director Gayle Kida
If so, please send a note to our tree breeding coordinator or the Regional Science Coordinator … or both to let us know where!
Congratulations go out to Connecticut resident Gerry Pleasant, who found this beautiful tree (photo above) smack in the middle of a busy suburban environment. Gerry's combination of knowing what to look for, and then getting that information to the right people, is what gives us the opportunity to capture the pre-blight genetic diversity of trees in CT.
News is hitting media nationwide about the TACF's pollination efforts. This article in the Delaware Insider about Sara Fitzsimmons, our beloved former Tree Breeding Coordinator, hit the streets yesterday.