Local Ecotype
Medium tree, to 60’
Full sun
Moist to dry soils
Wide, rounded crown
Chinkapin Oak is a medium sized oak in the white oak group that inhabits primarily upland forests, slopes, and ravines. Mature trees often take on a pleasant squat shape, sometimes with multiple trunks, which gives this oak a unique appearance. Also uncommon among oaks, leaves have widely spaced teeth rather than lobes, and the bark is scaly rather than furrowed. Fall foliage is often earthy tones of red or orange. The acorns generally lack high levels of tannins, sometimes allowing them to be eaten right out of the shell! The acorns also feed wildlife, and oak leaves provide food for a broad range of insects, including hosting the Red-banded Hairstreak. Mature trees range from 40-80 feet depending on site conditions.
Local Ecotype
Medium tree, to 60’
Full sun
Moist to dry soils
Wide, rounded crown
Chinkapin Oak is a medium sized oak in the white oak group that inhabits primarily upland forests, slopes, and ravines. Mature trees often take on a pleasant squat shape, sometimes with multiple trunks, which gives this oak a unique appearance. Also uncommon among oaks, leaves have widely spaced teeth rather than lobes, and the bark is scaly rather than furrowed. Fall foliage is often earthy tones of red or orange. The acorns generally lack high levels of tannins, sometimes allowing them to be eaten right out of the shell! The acorns also feed wildlife, and oak leaves provide food for a broad range of insects, including hosting the Red-banded Hairstreak. Mature trees range from 40-80 feet depending on site conditions.