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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Michael Phillis

A lost icon: The American chestnut and its central place in the eastern landscape

America 250 Objects American Chestnut - (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In a quiet stretch of western Massachusetts stands a sycamore so old it was around when the Constitution was signed. It’s awe-inspiring, with branches bigger than the entire trunks of most trees.

But it’s also notable because it’s an outlier. It is a tree with a majestic presence that dwarfs the common maples and pines nearby — a living reminder of how much old-growth forest has been lost.

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