Chinese chestnut (Castanea molassima)

Though the Milton Hershey School campus is graced by a number of magnificent trees, one of the oldest and most meaningful to generations of HIS/MHS students might be this Chinese chestnut. Known informally as the "climbing tree) for low-hanging and widespread branches, the tree is marked by an unmistakable "earthy aroma" emanating from its canopy, which is covered in clusters of long soft tendrils each spring. The series of branches extending horizontally almost from the base made it an excellent tree for climbing (if students could get away with it) for those boys and girls who made Kinderhaus their home.
As one of the oldest and largest trees on campus, the tree was becoming a victim of its own size. To save the tree from certain loss, arborists added permanent bracing and cabling to the tree in 2013. To help pull together the crack in the base, the tree has been outfitted with three one-inch thick pieces of threaded rod. To help support the weight of the tree and draw it together, nine cables also have been anchored to some of the widest spans.
Milton Hershey once said "There is not a person alive who should not plant a tree—-not for the shade that you'll enjoy, but for those who are coming after." Planted during Mr. Hershey's lifetime the Kinderhaus Climbing Tree continues to provide shade and enjoyment for us today.

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