There is historical precedent for the fears: At the turn of the 20th century a fungus caused a mass extinction of the American chestnut tree in the eastern United States.

Two American chestnuts growing side by side, a rare sight for this almost extinct tree. The one on the left is a little bigger and expected to become the new state champion in Illinois.

In the early 20th century, a blight fungus wiped out most of the 4 billion American chestnut trees on the eastern seaboard. The loss was ecologically devastating. Short Wave host Emily Kwong dives ...

A forest giant lost to disease American chestnut was once a common tree in the eastern U.S. as far north as the southern Adirondacks, but it fell victim to a fungus native to Asia in the early 1900s.

In August, this couple is leading a tour during the Virginia Highlands Festival on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 4-5 p.m., at Veterans Memorial Park, Abingdon.

About 3.5 billion American chestnut trees covering 9 million acres -- used by farmers and their livestock for food, by woodworkers for furniture, fencing and home construction -- vanished by the ...

According to MSJ biology teacher Emily Fleming, the trees give students a practical application of the things they will learn in class this year. She added that these trees are a great introduction to ...