Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023 - 58

The ash tree, once
the source wood
for most baseball
bats, has been
victimized by the
emerald ash borer.
wood. And, consuming and storing the
nuts are practices shared by humans and
wildlife alike. While it has a large range
and is one of the most winter-hardy nut
species (hickory, pecan, walnut), the number
of individual trees in any given forest
is naturally small.
The first report of diseased and dying
butternuts was in 1967. The trees were
infected with a non-native fungal pathogen
that has since killed an estimated
77% of the butternut trees in Virginia
and North Carolina. This tree appears
to fare better in certain locations and
has a diversity of genetic structures that
might aid in the propagation and restoration
of the species.
Ash. Perhaps the most well-known
human uses for ash wood are in the making
of tool handles and baseball bats.
For First Nation cultures, it was (and is)
an important source of material for basketmaking.
It is also a popular choice for
furniture, flooring and cabinets as well
as a replacement for the loss of elm trees
along city streets. In nature, its cavities are
used for nests; it provides shelter; and, offers
high-quality food for mammals, amphibians
and birds.
Recent
matic mortality, scientists have discovered
genetic variations in some trees that make
them resistant to the threat.
Old school report cards of the paper
studies in the Blue Ridge
Mountains of Virginia attribute " 25%
of tree deaths to non-native insects and
pathogens. " The ash is among the 22
species affected. The cause in this case: a
non-native insect called the emerald ash
borer. First detected 20 years ago and
thought to have arrived via wooden shipping
crates from overseas, this bug has
caused a sharp decline in tree density over
the past 10 years alone. Amidst this draNow,
12 healthy little trees, which we have named
the Chestnut Grove, are standing against the odds.
While their future may be uncertain, today's report
card would say they are thriving.
58 BLUERIDGECOUNTRY.COM
variety had a comment section at the bottom
for teachers to write a note-an observation
or a point of encouragement for
the student. Our note for the state of the
mountains' great trees begins with my father,
an accomplished Master Gardener.
Two years ago, he reached into the
refrigerator and handed us a repurposed
plastic container filled with moist
soil. Peeping up from inside were 13 tiny
shoots of green-the inauspicious beginnings
of American chestnut trees.
Being a person of a certain age, I
asked if I was too old to be planting and
caring for trees. His note from teacher to
student was this: " It's never too late to
plant a native tree. "
Follow up: After losing one (delicious)
sprouting chestnut to a hungry squirrel,
a large seedling box and then individual
baskets were constructed of chicken wire
to protect the rest. Now, 12 healthy little
trees, which we have named the Chestnut
Grove, are standing against the odds.
While their future may be uncertain,
today's report card would say they are
thriving.
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Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2023

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