Skip to Main Content
U.S. Forest Service
Caring for the land and serving people

United States Department of Agriculture

Home > Search > Publication Information

  1. Three American tragedies: chestnut blight, butternut canker, and Dutch elm disease

    Share via EmailShare on FacebookShare on LinkedInShare on Twitter
    Dislike this pubLike this pub
    Author(s): Scott E. Schlarbaum; Frederick Hebard; Pauline C. Spaine; Joseph C. Kamalay
    Date: 1998
    Source: In: Britton, Kerry O., ed. Exotic pests of eastern forests conference proceedings; 1997 April 8-10; Nashville, TN. U.S. Forest Service and Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council: 45-54.
    Publication Series: Paper (invited, offered, keynote)
    Station: Northern Research Station
    PDF: View PDF  (680.9 KB)
    Note: This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document

    Description

    Three North American tree species, American chestnut (Castanea dentata), butternut (Juglans cinerea), and American elm (Ulmus americana), have been devastated by exotic fungal diseases over the last century. American chestnut was eliminated from eastern forests as a dominant species by chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). Butternut is presently being extirpated, as butternut canker disease (Sirococcus clavigigenti-juglandacearum) spreads into northern populations. Urban and forest American elm populations have been decimated by Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma ulmi and O. nova-ulmi). A combination of basic and applied research has been directed toward developing resistant trees of each species. Resistant American elms are now available for planting in urban settings. The prospects for reintroduction of resistant American chestnut, butternut, and American elm into eastern forests appear to be promising.

    Publication Notes

    • Check the Northern Research Station web site to request a printed copy of this publication.
    • Our on-line publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat.
    • During the capture process some typographical errors may occur.
    • Please contact Sharon Hobrla, shobrla@fs.fed.us if you notice any errors which make this publication unusable.
    • We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
    • This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.

    Citation

    Schlarbaum, Scott E.; Hebard, Frederick; Spaine, Pauline C.; Kamalay, Joseph C. 1998. Three American tragedies: chestnut blight, butternut canker, and Dutch elm disease. In: Britton, Kerry O., ed. Exotic pests of eastern forests conference proceedings; 1997 April 8-10; Nashville, TN. U.S. Forest Service and Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council: 45-54.

    Related Search

    XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
Jump to Top of Page
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/745