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
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Take the quiz, then drop your results in the comments:
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🌱 Chestnut Curious
🌰 Chestnut Expert
#AmericanChestnut #TreeID #ForestEducation #ChestnutTrees #NativeTrees
4 CommentsComment on Facebook
I got a 4 on this.
I got 3 out of 4!
🌱
Just a few years apart: the same wild American chestnut tree before and after chestnut blight took its toll.
Enter our 2026 Photo Contest from now until the end of December!
#americanchestnut #chestnutblight #ForestEcology #NativeSpecies #ForestConservation
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
American chestnuts produce separate male flowers and bisexual flowers on the same tree?! What a fascinating reproductive strategy for a species once dominant across eastern forests. 🌿
#americanchestnut #treefacts #treeidentification #ForestEcology #SaveOurForests
5 CommentsComment on Facebook
I have had these on the farm for years
BeeKeeper Mango
From looking at the leaves that is NOT an American chestnut. The leaves do not have the good fishhook profile on the edges, and from what can see they look like Japanese chestnut leaves which have small feathery edges.
Small Stem Assays involve inoculating young chestnut stems with the blight fungus and monitoring the resulting cankers, allowing researchers to assess how well different trees respond to infection.
#educational #Informative #americanchestnut #fieldwork #explore
2 CommentsComment on Facebook
You don't find out if the tree is resistant until it matures. That could be a decade later.
I am always amazed how big you all can grow them in 1 year. That is how big my second year seed8 gs always are!