The Chestnut Song

30% off ALL plants* + bags of SuperNatural™

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack frost nipping at your nose.” The lyrics of The Christmas Song have floated through our minds since we were kids, but who among us actually procures and roasts these treasures of the American landscape? How did they come to be associated with the holidays? Once upon a time, these giants were prolific in the eastern United States. In many areas they represented 25% of the total tree population. Their nuts provided nutrition for man and animal alike, and their lumber was strong and resisted rot. Their association with Christmastime came naturally as the nuts ripened in the early winter, ready to be enjoyed by all over the cold months to come.

The new millennia brought a blight that would change the countryside. In 1904, a gentleman by the name of Herman Merkel discovered infected Chestnut trees on the grounds of the Bronx Zoo. A pathogen which had evolved alongside the resistant Japanese and Chinese varieties of Chestnut had made its way to the United States, and our species was unprepared. Less than 50 years later, the disease had obliterated most of the four billion strong Chestnut population.

Since then, there has been significant rallying to hybridize the American Chestnut with her Chinese cousin in an effort to repopulate the nation with blight resistant trees. The American Chestnut Foundation was founded by a group of plant scientists and enthusiasts in 1983, and they have been working towards the goal of reintroducing a blight resistant species. While they have not yet achieved their goal, they have continued their efforts valiantly, even supporting creating of a genetically engineered American Chestnut called Darling 58, spliced with a gene from wheat to attack chestnut blight.  We may not have any chestnuts to entice you this week, we are offering 30% off ALL PLANTS and bags of EarthMix SuperNatural™ in store in addition to our ongoing Cyber Sunday 20% off everything** sale! Can’t decide? Give the gardener in your life a gift card, and see visions of Spring dance in their heads.

That’s it for this week! Catch the Gardening Inside Out crew Saturday mornings at 8am. Follow us on Instagram for inspiration galore. Queue up the podcast for your next adventure. We look forward to seeing you!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates

*excludes Japanese maples; through 12/18/25

** excludes Japanese maples, gift cards, and deliveries; through 12/28/25