WSSC 1 – Backcross Orchard
This orchard was culled or rogued in 2015. Beginning in 2016 the remaining trees have pollinated each other, producing a large crop of BC4F2 nuts for planting in our seed orchards.
Address:
2717 Triadelphia Lake Rd., Sunshine, Montgomery Co.
Directions:
As a starting point, find your way to Sunshine, which is at the intersection of MD 650 (New Hampshire Ave,) and MD 97 (Georgia Ave). From Sunshine, go 1/2 mile north to a right turn on Triadelphia Lake Rd. Note: See the Google Map below.
Contacts:
Ron Kuipers – MDTACF
Eddie Franceschi: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, Watershed Manager
Mark Grzeszkiewicz: groundskeeper
Plantings:
Here is a list of the remaining 13 BC4 chestnut trees:
Sugarloaf East 833 – (6 trees) – numbers – 32, 43, 117, 121, 220, 270
Peters 32A – (2 trees) – numbers – 6, 297
WREC 48A – (5 trees) – numbers – 147, 150, 200, 204, 208
Location:
Maryland Chapter Menu
National Facebook
We’re proud to share this segment from the PBS show Human Footprint, featuring former TACF staff member Sara Fitzsimmons. The American chestnut sequence was selected to be adapted into a standalone YouTube video, which launched in late September and has already garnered more than half a million views. Sara’s dedication and expertise have shaped much of the progress in restoring the American chestnut. Give it a watch to learn more about this important work.
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Great presentation!
🌰 Harvest season at TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms brings both beauty and breakthrough science. Many of the chestnut crosses we gather are generated through recurrent genomic selection—cutting-edge research driving restoration forward. Each bur holds not only the wonder of new life, but also the promise of a future where the majestic American chestnut returns to our forests. 🌳
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #ChestnutResearch #meadowviewresearchfarms
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Are there places we can purchases a Chestnut tree that is disease resistant? Thanks!
We'll be co-hosting American Chestnut Day at the NC Arboretum this Saturday! If you're local, we hope you'll join us for a fun day of speakers, activities, and even a wild-type chestnut seedling sale!
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Chestnut Chat returns!
Join us on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.
Our special guest, Dr. Trevor Walker, Assistant Professor of Forest Genetics and Co-Director of the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program at NC State University, will share insights from 70 years of breeding loblolly pine for disease resistance, growth, and stem form. He will also consider which practices are likely to succeed for American chestnut, which are not, and why.
Visit tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-breeding-disease-resistance-in-loblolly-pine/ to learn more or register.
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Can't wait for the Chestnut Chat, sounds like a great opportunity to learn! 🎯
What is EPT? Do you mean Eastern standard time?
🌱 TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms team joined the Clinch Valley SWCD Natural Resources Festival in Russell County, sharing the story of the American chestnut with hundreds of local students. Lucinda Wigfield and Jim Tolton led engaging talks on the tree’s history, the devastation of blight, and TACF’s efforts to restore this keystone species. Inspiring young minds remains central to our mission. 🌳
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #ChestnutResearch #meadowviewresearchfarms
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We picked this guy up at a booth earlier in the summer. It’s just started getting the darker spots on its leaves. Is it okay? Too wet? Losing its leaves for the winter? Should we keep it indoors now and give it a grow light?