American Chestnut Trees Return to Bronx Zoo 122 Years After Blight Discovery

American chestnut trees return to Bronx Zoo 122 years after blight discovery

More than a century after a disease first spotted at the Bronx Zoo helped wipe out billions of American chestnut trees across the eastern United States, the iconic species is making a comeback.

American chestnut returns to Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after blight was first documented; 25 hybrid saplings planted on 265-acre grounds; NYC expands 1,000-tree restoration drive after disease killed nearly 4 billion trees

The American chestnut is returning to the Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after blight was first documented there. The zoo and New York Restoration Project planted 25 hybrid saplings as part of a restoration effort. Once abundant across eastern North America, the tree was devastated by disease that killed nearly 4 billion trees.

The American Chestnut tree returns to the Bronx Zoo after more than a century

An American Chestnut tree in Vermont in 2017. The Bronx Zoo is getting 25 blight-resistant chestnut saplings as part of the effort to bring the tree back from extinction. [ more › ]

American chestnut returns to Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after blight was first documented; 25 hybrid saplings planted on 265-acre grounds; NYC expands 1,000-tree restoration drive after disease killed nearly 4 billion trees - THE LOCAL REPORT ARTICLES

American chestnut trees are returning to the Bronx Zoo more than 120 years after the blight was first documented. (Photo: TACF.org) More than 120 years after the American chestnut blight was first documented at the Bronx Zoo, the iconic tree is making a historic return to the same grounds where its devastating decline was first ...