When Bob Wells and Mel Tormé penned “The Christmas Song” in 1945 and the Nat King Cole Trio recorded it in 1946, “Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire/Jack Frost nipping at your nose,” became a Christmas tradition.

Now as our attention turns to the holidays, it's worth remembering that the American Chestnut tree that once dominated Southern Appalachian forests is gone. One recent article said that it numbered in the billions throughout its range. The tree was both ecologically and economically important. But a fungal pathogen that was introduced to North America caused a chestnut blight and destroyed the once-magnificent trees.

Today on Earthly Jonathan talks to forest ecologist Don Hagan.

Hagan is going to tell us about the history of the American Chestnut, its once-important role in our ecology and economy, how it died, and the heroic efforts being taken to bring it back from extinction.

SHOW NOTES

American Chestnut Foundation

What it takes to bring back the American Chestnut Trees

HGIC: Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Native American Ethnobotany Database

For show notes and additonal resources, visit https://blogs.clemson.edu/earthly/.

Earthly is hosted and produced by Clemson University.