Any of you had any experience burning American chestnut? I know the Appalachian mountains were covered with this majestic tree until the chestnut blight wiped them out almost 100 years ago, but here in central PA the offspring rising from the root systems as stump sprouts sometimes get as big as 30' tall and 6-7" in diameter before succumbing to chestnut blight. I have occasionally found some dead ones big enough for firewood, mostly for campfires. I know back in the day, the wood was used for everything, easily worked and very durable/rot resistant. My hunting cabin built in 1935 is made from chestnut logs, all still sound except for one where water and dirt have splashed on it the last 80 years. However, in my experience it is TERRIBLE for firewood. I just tried to burn a few pieces in the campfire, stuff was 3" in diameter, no bark, dead for ?? years and bone dry. Splits nice, but just lays there and never catches on fire. No sizzling, just does not burn! Found an old Penn State publication about wood species/firewood. It said it has very high moisture content when wet, and classified it in the "poor" category. I agree. To document it's durability rot resistance, photo of a piece I cut split 6 years ago and it has been laying on the ground, split side down all that time, I used it to keep shed door closed. And my cabin.
I've often wondered about it but will wonder no more. None of it around here anyway and now I'm glad.
A blight resistance gene from wheat added to the chestnut genome. UNE professor working to restore the American chestnut tree one seed at a time
I just spotted a dead standing sprout in the same condition and was looking forward to giving it a try. I still will try it, but won't expect much.
I found a chunk of it laying on the ground last winter, I remembered the live tree from when I was a kid. Burned a few pieces, didn't really think anything of it. I'd imagine it's pretty mediocre firewood.
Dont know how it is for firewood but I know a guy who got huge, thick wormy chestnut planks for free. He had his kitchen cabinets made from them. It looks awesome. Nice cabin. Wish I had something like that for an addition on back of our stone farm house
Denver parks and rec has been planting Chestnut trees for a few years now. I think they are surging agin due to the ash tree being wiped out by the eab. Hopefully they do well! PS - Never has the chance to burn chestnut. PPS - Sweet little cabin too!
Funny you should mention chestnut. I brought some in this morning, at least I think it's chestnut. Two years split. Seems to burn OK.
I guess that's another + for chestnut as far as building with it goes...strong, rot resistant...and fire resistant!
Beautiful cabin, JDU Cant say I’ve ever seen young chestnut. The wood in your first picture looks very similar to pin cherry but maybe I’ve been misidentifying some new growth for a few years now - We’ve got an acre or two of new growth in an area of our property that was logged under the former owners that I always thought was filling in with pin cherry. Haven’t really given it much attention but now I will have to go take a look and try to determine what’s actually out there. Shallow eastern facing hillside above a bowl in the terrain. Is chestnut an early succession species?
The reason I think it's chestnut, or maybe horse chestnut, were the leaves that were on it, and there was one of those nuts with the bristley husks.
I think it is chestnut. Those are pretty solid clues. Leaves and fruits are key. Bark-only ID is never a guarantee I’ve found. Most of the time it’s ok but there are those handful of times that looking only at the bark will totally throw you in the wrong direction. I’m very intrigued now, though. I think Sunday I’ll be able to take a walk back and give that new growth a look. Looking at some pictures on Google now and there are some similarities between young bark on pin cherry and a couple species of chestnut - but enough of a difference that I should be able to get a positive ID once I get my eyes on it.
If it is chestnut, it’s likely not American chestnut if it had fruit. The American chestnut that is still growing in the woods is reproduced through stump sprouts from the trees that were wiped out by the blight. Sometimes you can see a circular pattern of sprouts that emanate from where the original tree was. As such there is no genetic variation from the trees that were killed years ago because there is no sexual reproduction between trees. Before they get to an age that they flower, they are again killed by the blight only to sprout up from the stump again.. If you have chestnut, it’s probably Chinese Chestnut.
Very interesting. I just passed up an article on Google about Chinese chestnut, published out of a University in Missouri. I will go back and give it a read now. Thanks for the info.
