Habitat:
This species has an intermediate tolerance of shade and grows best in
gravelly, rocky, well-drained soils on hillsides or mountain slopes.
Diseases: First detected in the New York Zoological Park in 1904, the chestnut blight was believed to have been introduced to the US on infected Chinese chestnut trees (C. mollisima), which show some degree of resistance. There is no cure and young trees exist because the chestnut sprouts readily from old stumps that remain healthy for 13 to 15 years-but rarely long enough to produce flowers and fruit before infection sets in.
Distribution: The American chestnut was once widespread throughout eastern North America, but has largely been eliminated by the chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). C. dentata is not native to Iowa, but was once widely planted here for its nut crop and valuable lumber until the disease occurred in this state.
