On 1/2/2019 7:40 AM, Sonny wrote:
On Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 2:56:08 PM UTC-6, dpb wrote:

West of the Rockies, any chestnut you find is an exotic; they aren't
native. You can probably eliminate the Tumwater specimens as being
hybrids simply from their age as before anybody was working on the
project.


In that link, the guy was a visitor, vacationing I assume. No relevant info about the tree.

I don't recall where I read it, but one source mentioned the pioneers planting original specimens when they went west, hence not hybridized. The article mentioned the fungus not migrating beyond the Rockies. I have no idea if, since that writing, if the fungus has moved west. I like to think there are still fungus free trees or nuts to be had.

I sent the details to daughter; she knows where the park is; she'll
check it out and see what else she can uncover about its provenance when
has time...

I haven't called/contacted the Georgia firm, but will today, and find out just what stock they have. Their listings state "authentic product", but that may not necessarily mean fungus free. I need to know exactly what "authentic" means and relative to the fungus. One would assume if they are fungus free or hybrid free, then the Chestnut Foundation folks would be aware, hence these trees are suspect.
https://www.willisorchards.com/produ...e#.XCqpVFxKiUn

They're pretty short on any details on the web site, fur shure...

I'd presume in a nursery they can afford enough preventative care via
fungicides and such and with rotating stock to avoid active infection
while in the nursery itself.

The problem I'd see is you have no way to know what has transpired in
your area previously -- is there any documentary history going back to
the time the area was initially cleared to know if there was any
standing hardwood timber after the time of introduction to the US?

Or, like much developed ground, if there were chestnuts there at one,
time had they been clearcut long before the fungus may have reached the
area?

Then again, the fungus could have been transported on other stock that
isn't susceptible any way, and may be lurking as you note. I don't know
that there's any common way to test--I suppose some lab could do soil
testing for a price.

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