Producers/Hosts: Hazel Stark and Joe Horn
Chestnut Flowers
Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at mainelyphenology.wordpress.com
Maine was once a boundless tract of old growth pines that were so magnificently large and straight the most perfect of the trees were reserved for masts on the King of England’s sailing fleet and Thoreau wrote that the trees were so large a team of oxen could stand two abreast on their stumps. There are even a few tree species that living generations can attest were once abundant but now must be categorized in the archives of “forests that once were.” One of these is the grand and much sought after American Chestnut, whose flowers can still be found in bloom this time of year in a couple of secluded and much guarded groves here in Maine.