It's always a good day when I find an American chestnut tree. It's an even better day when I find an American chestnut tree of a decent size. Admittedly, I mostly feel this way because American chestnut isn't an incredibly common species where I live. A fungal disease known as chestnut blight kills most American chestnuts. The fungus cuts off the flow of water and nutrients within trees. Starved of nutrients, the trunks of American chestnuts die. But the roots remain alive. They give rise to spr