The American chestnut was all but destroyed by fungal blight and logged as settlements spread west when the United States was settled by Europeans. But lately, it’s making a comeback. Endangered for years, the American chestnut is now being appreciated for its many helpful characteristics in cultivated permaculture gardens and its value as a historical tree that anchored entire ecosystems. Americans are embracing the great chestnut like never before. What is the American chestnut? Why do we love the American chestnut? Well, it’s the tree version of quinoa, to create a very bad analogy. Chestnut trees are the gardener’s version of the perfect protein. They help shade and encourage other plants, create edible fruit that lasts for generations, which can also be ground for flour and their wood is used for furniture that is unparalleled in beauty.…