Revitalization of the Majestic Chestnut: Chestnut Blight Disease

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Contributed by
Sandra L. Anagnostakis
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Box 1106
New Haven, CT 06504
Phone 203-974-8498
Sandra.Anagnostakis@po.state.ct.us

Anagnostakis, S.L. 2000. Revitalization of the Majestic Chestnut: Chestnut Blight Disease. APSnet Features. Online. doi: 10.1094/APSnetFeature-2000-1200

Chestnut blight, or chestnut bark disease, is caused by an introduced fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica (Murrill) Barr, (formerly Endothia parasitica [Murrill] Anderson & Anderson). The fungus enters wounds, grows in and under the bark (Fig. 1), and eventually kills the cambium all the way around the twig, branch, or trunk (33). Sprouts develop from a burl-like tissue at the base of the tree called the ‘root collar,’ which contains dormant embryos (39). Sprouts grow, become wounded and infected, and die, and the process starts all over again.

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