Chinquapin Oak

Summary

The Chinquapin Oak is a hard to find native oak species, preferring rocky & well-draining soil, particularly on the alkaline side.

This is unusual for oaks, which in general tend to prefer more acidic soils. So if you have soils high in calcium or limestone and want an oak, this is the tree for you!

In addition, Chinquapin Oaks have the distraction of having some of the most delicious acorns, even amongst all other white oaks.

Last, in addition to all the wildlife benefits you get from planting an oak, this species makes for a handsome landscape tree with a vase shaped crown and very nice yellow fall colors.

Where to Find

Woodlands that include mixtures of Beech-Maple, Maple-Basswood, Oak-Hickory, Oak-Chestnut, Chestnut, and Northern Red oaks are very likely to contain Chinquapin Oaks within it’s native range. (2)

Want to see a Chinquapin Oak in person? There are 5 Chinquapin oaks at Longwood Gardens, 4 inside the gardens within the Oak Knoll area, and 1 in the parking lot. (click here for the Longwood Gardens Plant Explorer)

A fantastic example is the Sacred Oak in Oley PA, (just 50 miles north of Wilmington). This majestic tree is estimated to be 500-700 years old. Please see this page from the International Oak Society for details. https://www.internationaloaksociety.org/content/sacred-oak-oley

Native Range

The Chinquapin Oak’s range covers most of southern half of the Eastern Temperate Forest ecoregion, excluding the coastal plains. However, this species is rare within its native range, seen sparely throughout Oak-Hickory forests on limestone or calcium rich soils of the piedmont.

This species grows anywhere within growing zones 4-9. Our area is currently a zone 7.

As temperatures rise and our zone moves from 7 to 8 (or even 9), a Chinquapin Oak planted today in northern DE, southeastern PA, or western MA will thrive now and through it’s longest expected lifespan of up to 400 years.

Growing Conditions

Chinquapin oak is generally found on well-drained upland limestone and calcium rich soils in mixed deciduous and pine forests, but adapts well to many different soil types. Chinquapin oak grows on dry, rocky sites, such as bluffs, rocky hillsides, and protected slopes and canyons. It also occurs in glades and valleys, and along rocky streambanks . Soil pH is strongly related to the presence of Chinquapin Oak, which is found on soils that are weakly acidic to alkaline (pH above 6)

If you are wondering if this tree would be a good fit for you, think about it’s alternative name - the Rock Oak. This tree really likes to be in the rocky Piedmont area north of I-95. However, it is also very adaptable and can be found naturally in slightly acid soils as well, just not as often. Usually in less desirable situations like lowland sites with acid soils, it is eventually overtaken by other tree species in nature so it not found that often in those locations.

Chinquapin Oak are not tolerant of shade and requires full sun. This is not really negotiable for this tree.

Flowering & Reproduction

Chinquapin oak is monoecious (male and female flowers on the same tree). Flowers are wind pollinated April - June. Acorns mature in one season.

Acorns are dark brown to black when mature. About half of the nut is enclosed by the cup. Most eastern oaks produce good seed crops at variable intervals. Best seed crops are generally produced by large trees (> 20 inches diameter at breast height) with vigorous crowns. Cold or wet weather during flowering can result in poor seed production. Acorns are disseminated by gravity, and rodents and birds. Groups of seedlings commonly originate from the caches of blue jays. Although effective dispersal agents, birds and mammals also consume many seeds. In some areas, 90 to 100 percent of the annual acorn crop may be lost to seed predators. Acorns of chinquapin oak germinate soon after falling to the ground. Stratification is not required. Acorns of chinquapin oak remain viable for only short periods, even when properly stored. Germination is usually very good for fresh acorns, but then drops significantly to below 50% if stored for a year. By the second year of storage, germination rate is almost zero.

Natural Hybridization - Like most oaks, Chinquapin Oaks can hybridized naturally in the wild with other oaks. In particular, Chinquapin has been found to hybridize naturally with bur oak, white oak, dwarf chinquapin oak, and is suspected of hybridizing with swamp white oak. (1)(2)

Ecology

Nuts - The acorns of Chinquapin oak are a high quality, dependable food source. Mice, squirrels, voles, rabbits, beavers, porcupines, other small mammals, and white-tailed deer preferentially consume the acorns of Chinquapin oak acorn in the fall. The Acorns are an especially important fall food item for the black bear; the relative abundance of fall mast crops can affect black bear reproductive success during the following year. The acorns of chinquapin oak are also particularly important food item for the red-headed woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, northern bobwhite, and blue jay. Other bird species that feed on acorns include the ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, ring-necked pheasant, wild turkey, common crow, northern flicker, grackle, blue jay, brown thrasher, tufted titmouse, starling, lesser prairie chicken, chickadees, nuthatches, and waterfowl. (2)

Insects - Oak trees support a wide variety of Lepidopteran, including Imperial Moth larvae, Banded Hairstreaks, Edward's Hairstreaks, Gray Hairstreaks, White-M Hairstreaks, Horace’s Duskywings, and Juvenal’s Duskywings (7)

Food

Acorns (nuts) are edible after tannins are leached or boiled out. Gather nuts during the fall from September to October. Only gather the ripe tan-to-brown acorns, rather than the unripe green ones. Remove any corky skin layers, dice the meat, and boil the chunks in water from 15 to 30 minutes until the water turns brown. Then pour off the water and repeat the process until the water clears, indicating that the tannic acid has been removed. (2)

During the last boiling, salt water can be added; then the acorns can be deep fried or mixed in a soup. Finely chopped acorn meats can be added to bread doughs and muffin batters. After the leaching process, acorn meat can be frozen. To make flour, the boiled acorn meat can be split in two and dried by slowly baking in a 200 degree oven with the door cracked to allow moisture to escape. Crush or grind and use as a thickener or a flour. Another method is to roast the fresh acorn to work well in a grinder or blender. After grinding, place the flour into a cloth bag and boil to leach out bitterness. Leached acorns, after they are roasted until brittle, can be ground and used as a coffee substitute. (2)

Home Landscaping

This is a spreading, medium to large tree, reaching less than 20ft on low quality soils, but between 50-80 feet in more average sites. Occasionally growing to 80 or 90 feet high in optimal natural areas, with the record heights of 160ft in rich bottomland soils. (6)

While these trees can be found naturally in calcium rich neutral and alkaline soils, this adaptable tree can grow in many different soil types when planted in the home landscape. However, full sun is required (at least 6-8 hours per day)

Chinquapin Oaks have attractive fall colors, ranging from yellow to orange-brown.

Overall, this is a great landscape shade tree as it has a vase like shape and broad open crown when grown in the open.

Diseases - In general, oaks in the white oak group are more resistant to diseases such as Oak Wilt than those in the red oak group. Some claim that Chinquapin Oaks are specifically more resistant to Oak wilt. (7)

History

The Lenape Indians (native to the region of the United States that is now Delaware) held the Chinquapin Oak in high regard. Lenape Chiefs would offer gifts and pray under the Chinquapin Oak for good luck during hard times and in times of war. (8)

With the introduction of European settlers, the vast majority of Chinquapin Oaks were cut down in early America for fencing and many other common uses. The wood was very desirable - it was strong, shock resistant, durable, and had a high energy for burning. Chinquapin oaks like to grow on rich soil with a high water table, which was exactly where early settlers liked to farm and so clear cutting for farmland removed much of this tree from it’s natural landscape. In the original untouched American forests, trunks used to be 3-4 ft thick and up to 160ft high . (9)

Credits and more information than you could ask for on Chinquapin Oaks!

1. US Forest Service page on Chinquapin Oaks (https://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/misc/ag_654/volume_2/quercus/muehlenbergii.htm)

2. USDS Fire Effects Information System (https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/quemue/all.html)

3. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower page on Chinquapin Oaks (https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=qumu)

4. Kentucky Forestry and Natural Resources Extension (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyFf9mu2E4k)

5. Trees with Don Leopold (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2PTdQA440)

6. bplant page on Chinquapin Oaks (https://bplant.org/plant/189)

7. NC State Extension (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/quercus-muehlenbergii/)

8. Arbor Day Foundation (https://arbordayblog.org/treeoftheweek/6039/)

9. A Natural History of North American Trees, Donald Culross Peatiie

Image Credits

1. Main Images

   1. Big Trees Ohio facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BigTreesOhio/ , Feb 2024

2. Identification

   1. Leaves - https://flic.kr/p/Cioxji, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ , Feb 2024