The Return of the American Chestnut

Nearly a Century Ago, American Chestnut Trees Died Off. Now, Hikers Can Walk Among Them Again

In Virginia’s quiet backwoods, a near-extinct giant is taking root again

The Return of the American Chestnut

In the secluded hills of Lesesne State Forest in Nelson County, Virginia, a simple hike leads to something extraordinary: living proof that one of America’s most important trees is coming back from the edge of extinction. Among tulip poplars and white oaks, rare American chestnut trees now stand tall, dropping spiny burs filled with dark, leathery nuts — a sight unseen in most Eastern forests for nearly a century.

Once dominating landscapes from Maine to Mississippi, the American chestnut was prized for its strong, rot-resistant wood, abundant wildlife food, and sweet, dry nuts. But in the early 1900s, an invasive Asian fungus known as chestnut blight swept through the forests, killing an estimated 3.5 billion trees and rendering the species functionally extinct by 1941.

“This is one of the most extreme recorded changes in a natural plant population caused by an introduced organism in history,” says West Virginia University emeritus professor of plant pathology and former TACF president, William MacDonald.

Yet nostalgia, science, and persistence kept hope alive. Researchers, foresters, and volunteers began searching for survivors and experimenting with crossbreeding, particularly with blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts. The effort eventually led to the founding of The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) in 1983 and a decades-long backcross breeding program designed to restore trees that are nearly 100 percent American — but strong enough to withstand the blight.

“The idea was to back-cross the hybrids with wild stock, 100 percent American parents through seven generations and produce trees that were genetically identical to American chestnuts, but had enough blight resistance to survive in the wild,” says veteran forester and TACF board member, John Scrivani.

At Lesesne, one of the nation’s oldest and largest experimental plantings, the results are tangible. Carefully managed trees have grown into self-sustaining stands, competing naturally with oaks and hickories and even reproducing on their own.

“These stands are now self-reproducing, and you can find occasional seedlings in the understory,” says Scrivani.

Though full restoration across Eastern forests may still be a century away, more than 700 plantings now stretch across thousands of acres, and progress continues through breeding, fungal research, and renewed public engagement. Setbacks, including failed genetically modified trees, have tempered expectations but not the long view.

Once an icon, the functionally extinct American chestnut tree could be restored

Scrivani imagines a future where hikers once again walk beneath towering chestnut canopies and roast wild nuts over autumn campfires.

“I’ve dedicated much of my career working with many others to the goal of making that a possibility for future generations and feel confident that it will happen,” says Scrivani. “It brings me joy to think that my great-great-great grandchildren could get to experience something like that.”

For now, places like Lesesne State Forest — along with sites in Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia — offer a glimpse of what’s possible: living groves that stand as monuments to patience, collaboration, and hope.

The return of the American chestnut is more than a scientific achievement — it’s a reminder that even after devastating loss, nature can be given a second chance when human dedication matches the scale of the damage. In a world filled with environmental threats, this slow, stubborn comeback feels like a rare and precious promise.

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