American Chestnuts Bear Fruit

I had a magic morning today. I stopped by my daughters’ fairy house at the base of this extinct, deeply beloved, greatly fussed-over tree to leave a fairy gift for her to find…and instead, *I* found a most surprising gift.

There are so few of these trees left that are healthy enough to bloom that it’s practically unheard of to produce nuts, because they need multiple trees. Hence, considered extinct.

SO this means that—

1: what a massive gift from the universe—things like this really help keep my stewardship momentum going in the uphill slog of climate change and invasives

2: how did I miss this?!? I mean I’ve been busy, but COME ON I visit this tree almost every day, it’s a major thing to miss! Good reminder to pay closer attention to dear familiar things.

3. Most importantly: WHERE IS THE OTHER ONE? The forest here is healthy and old second growth so it’s entirely possible that my tree has a secret admirer. My others are too small, I definitely would have noticed. This pollen came from a <<stranger>>

Exciting times. There’s a dozen more up there.

Tree came from Fedco a decade ago.