Once a common sight, Missouri’s native chestnut tree, Castanea ozarkensis, provided food for people and animals as well as wood for furniture and musical instruments. Now, the tree, also called the Ozark chinquapin, is unfamiliar to most Missourians. In the early 20th century, chestnut blight wiped out millions of Castanea ozarkensis. The remaining trees grow…
Tag: Ozark chinquapin
Botanical Resonance: Saving the Ozark Chinquapin and Its Musical Traditions
The once-beloved Ozark chinquapin tree was almost forgotten after Chinese chestnut blight nearly wiped it out entirely. Now, there is renewed hope for this Ozark tree and the regional traditions it inspired.