Giant Trees Once Blanketed The Eastern US, Can They Return?

Parkography

RV Miles Network

Nature, Society & Culture, History, Society & Culture:places & Travel, Science, Places & Travel

4.8 • 911 Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2026

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

At the turn of the 20th century, the American Chestnut tree was the most important plant in the eastern United States, accounting for over 25% of the forest canopy. But in a period of just 50 years, a mysterious blight, an imported fungus, swept the country and killed over four billion trees. Join Jason Epperson for Parkography as we explore the rise and fall of the majestic American Chestnut and the incredible, ongoing effort to bring the species back. A major part of this mission is taking place on one of our nation’s most hallowed grounds: the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Learn about the tree's vital role in the American landscape and economy, the devastating chestnut blight, and the pioneering "backcross" technique scientists and volunteers are using to plant blight-resistant seedlings in the memory of American heroes. Find the Slinky Stove that's right for your next adventure at: https://www.slinkystove.com/?ref=PARKography Join the PARKography Facebook group to discuss this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/parkography

Transcript

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0:00.0	Would it surprise you to learn that at the turn of the 20th century, the eastern half of the American landscape looked very different than it does today?
0:10.0	I'm not talking about man-made cities and highways, but the wild nature.
0:15.0	If you were to hop in a time machine to take the Appalachian Trail in the year 1900, the wilderness that you would find
0:22.3	would be entirely different. Today, a tree disease that altered America and a chance at rebirth
0:29.1	on the site of one of our nation's greatest tragedies. I'm Jason Epperson, and this is parkography.
0:38.3	American chestnut trees once blanketed the East Coast.
0:43.3	Up to 100 feet tall and 9 feet in diameter,
0:46.3	the American variety of chestnut trees were nearly as awe-inspiring
0:50.3	as some of the largest redwood trees on the west coast, and the tree's natural range
0:55.8	stretched from Ontario to Georgia, west through the mountains and highlands to Alabama and north
1:02.4	to the plains of Indiana and Illinois. The leaves are long and yellow with parallel veins,
1:09.2	leading to large serrations on the edges.
1:12.2	Its straight grain, strength, and rot resistance made the wood unsurpassed for splitting
1:17.7	and building most of the early American barns, houses, telephone poles, fencing, and
1:22.6	piers.
1:23.6	Chestnut trees were the primary source of tannin used to cure leather.
1:27.5	But their most unique feature was, of course, the edible nut.
1:31.5	The chestnut was an important part of the diet of the colonists, Native Americans and
1:36.2	wildlife alike.
1:37.7	It was perfect for roasting over an open fire or for stuffing a turkey.
1:42.7	Chestnuts were roasted, ground into flour for cakes and bread and stewed into
1:46.5	puddings. Native Americans used chestnut meal with corn to make breads, the leaves to alleviate heart
	...

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