Chestnut blight changed everything. Watch how this deadly fungus transformed a once-mighty tree. | The American Chestnut Foundation

One of the greatest ecological disasters the US has ever seen. Chestnut blight wiped out the American chestnut tree in less than 50 years. A tree that once made up nearly 25% of the eastern forests was reduced to a functionally extinct species. The Asian fungus Cryphonectria parasitica was accidentally introduced into the United States in the late 1800s. While a few diseased chestnuts were noted in the 1880s and 90s, it wasn't until 1904 that the pathogen was identified in New York City. From th

2.9K views · 18 reactions | Ready for a downer? It's time to talk about chestnut blight. The American chestnut used to be one of the dominant trees in the eastern forests, until a non-native fungus was introduced from Asia in the late 1800's and wiped them out. Today there are almost no mature American chestnut trees left. But the question is, do our American chestnut friends Cassie & Denny have blight? Let's find out. | The American Chestnut Foundation | Facebook