Sugarloaf Mountain Orchard
East Field – Originally planted in 1970 with an estimated 1000 irradiated seeds. Most have succumbed to chestnut blight and phytophthora. However, some 27 remaining trees have been used as mother trees in our breeding program. Also, a backcross orchard of BC3 seeds (Manahan 41 x AG247) and an experimental orchard to study hypovirulence were planted in 2007 . However, most of these trees have been killed by the blight, phytophthora or deer.
To see an article on the chestnuts of Sugarloaf Mountain by Essie Burnworth, click here.
Address:
7901 Comus Road, Dickerson, Montgomery County
Contacts:
The Propers – Stewards
David Webster – Executive Secretary, Stronghold Inc.
Challenges: Deer, Phytophthora, gall wasps, vines.
East Field Location:
Maryland Chapter Menu
National Facebook
Before January comes to a close, here are our 2026 Ins and Outs. Tell us yours in the comments!
#americanchestnut #explorepages #restoration #conservation #forestry
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This is pretty funny!
Before January comes to a close, here are our 2026 Ins and Outs. Tell us yours in the comments!
#americanchestnut #insandouts2026 #chestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #forestry
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Last week, all TACF staff rolled up their sleeves for a phenotyping faceoff at Meadowview! Team members were randomly assigned one of three different phenotyping protocols, all applied to the same set of trees, to help us evaluate which approach works best in the field. Phenotyping is a critical part of our breeding and restoration work, especially when it comes to evaluating blight severity. By carefully documenting traits like sporulation, canker severity, and overall tree health, we can better understand how each tree is responding to the disease. This information feeds directly into our Recurrent Genomic Selection (RGS) model, helping guide breeding decisions and accelerate progress toward a blight resistant American chestnut.
#americanchestnut #restorationinprogress #chestnutresearch #forestrestoration #meadowviewresearchfarms #castanetum #scienceinthefield
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Support us AND get some merch!? Sounds like a win-win to me. Some of our more popular items are limited in supply and size, so order soon!
Shop here: support.tacf.org/shop
#americanchestnut #restoration #conservation #shop #merch #Nonprofit #support
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Some say the American chestnut is the only ‘Ten I see.' We say the Chapter Meeting is a close second—RSVP now via the listed website or QR code.
RSVP here: TINYURL.COM/YBVMP5TN
#americanchestnut #Tennessee #TN #cookeville #chestnuts #meeting #event #getinvolved #restoration #conservation #nature #forestry
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