Maryland Chapter

WSSC 1 – Backcross Orchard

This was the first WSSC (Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission) orchard, a backcross breeding 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:

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We are thankful for each and everyone of you! ... See MoreSee Less

We are thankful for each and everyone of you!

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Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🥧🦃🍂

Follow us to learn more about the blight and what to do if this happens to a tree near you! ... See MoreSee Less

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I believe I have a few resistant chestnut trees that have produced their second crop of seeds . They are descendants of those once in living in .Valley Garden Park

The American Chestnut Foundation. If we don't figure out the tree of heaven problem then we won't have anything but ailanthus altissima and your research will be a waste.

Send me few, I'll plant them

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Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration ... See MoreSee Less

Holiday cheer is brewing! 🎄🍺 TACF staff joined Sweetbay Brewing’s Patrick Atkins in Abingdon, VA, as he demonstrated how Meadowview-ground American chestnut seeds are being used to craft a rich brown ale for our Chestnuts Roasting & Christmas Market celebration on December 13. Join us for local flavor, music, and chestnut-inspired holiday fun! #AmericanChestnut #SweetbayBrewing #ChestnutsRoasting #HolidayCheers #MeadowviewResearchFarms #AbingdonVA #ForestRestoration

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Kirk🌰🍺!

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.

Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To register, visit: tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/
... See MoreSee Less

Join us tomorrow, November 21, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (ET), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat webinar.Our special guest, Dr. Jessica Rutkoski, is a small grains breeder with a talent for explaining the fundamentals of breeding and quantitative genetics. In her talk, she will describe how modern tools such as genomic selection and high-throughput phenotyping can speed up improvement for multiple traits—and how these technologies can be effectively applied to TACF’s American chestnut breeding program. Jessica is a quantitative geneticist and leads the winter wheat breeding program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.To register, visit: https://tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-faster-genetic-gain/

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Will be recording be made available later for those of us who cannot attend midday?

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.

The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025

Visit tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
... See MoreSee Less

Grab your camera and hit the trails—the American Chestnut Photo Contest is back! We’re looking for striking, creative, and unique images of American chestnut trees and hybrids.The first-place winner will have their photo featured on the cover of a future issue of Chestnut magazine and receive a one-year TACF membership, along with a T-shirt and hat. Open until December 31, 2025Visit https://tacf.org/2025-photo-contest/ for more!
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