Why plant a Chinkapin Oak tree
Fast-growing, mid-size oak that produces an abundance of small acorns
Oak trees are an outstanding addition to any garden looking to attract a variety of wildlife from deer and wild turkeys to chipmunks, squirrels, birds and a host of moths and caterpillars to feed the birds in spring and summer.
The Chinkapin Oak is a Carolinian species found in Southern Ontario and throughout native to eastern and central North America. It ranges from Vermont to Minnesota, south to the Florida panhandle, and west to New Mexico in the United States. In Mexico it ranges from Coahuila south to Hidalgo.[2]
The dilemma is not, should I plant an oak, but what oak out of the more than 400 varieties should I plant.
The final decision is as much about the conditions in our yards, as it is about the look we’re after.
In our yard, the combination of sandy-based soil, a nice sunny spot and the need for a fast-growing oak that puts out plenty of acorns early in life to feed wildlife, led me to the Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) also spelled Chinquapin oak.
Doug Tallamy’s The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees is an excellent resource if you’re looking for more information on these important trees.
You can also check out my posts here: The Mighty Oak, Columnar Oaks.
The Nature of Oaks is considered the bible for anyone looking for information on Oak trees.
Chinquapin Oak is a Carolinian species, common throughout the Eastern United States but found only in southern parts of Ontario that feature species from the Carolinian zone. The most common small tree and shrub species found in association with chinquapin oak include flowering dogwood Cornus florida, sassafras, sourwood, hawthorns, and sumacs.
They like an alkaline soil especially on a limestone bedrock. It’s a member of the white oak family and can live for up to 400 years.
The fact that it is rare in my geographical area and adds to the many Carolinian zone species in our yard is a pure bonus.
It didn’t hurt that the city where I live made the informed decision to give away native trees as a way to encourage homeowners to plant more native trees. Granted, my Chinkapin oak is very small and needs several years of nurturing to get to a stage where it becomes a part of the canopy and an important structural element in our garden. Once established, however, Chinquapin oaks can put on two or more feet of growth per year and grow to between 40 and 70 feet tall (30 metres) tall with a straight trunk up to 60 centimetres wide, with a similar-sized canopy.
The leaves of the Chinkapin oak are large and can grow up to 8 inches (10-18 centimetres) in length. The leaves have a scalloped look and are shiny green on the top with a dull underside. The leaves are more narrow than many traditional oaks. They are coarsely toothed with pointed tips. In the fall they turn a pleasant dark, purply-grey colour.
But the real reason I decided to plant a Chinkapin oak is the abundance of acorns borne singly or in pairs that these trees produce and the fact that production starts early in life. The acorns are smaller than typical acorns and turn almost black as they mature. They mature in one year, and ripen in September or October. Their shell is also softer than most acorns and are therefore more accessible to a greater number of birds and wildlife. The cap covers a third to half of the acorn.
In a few short years, our local wildlife is going to love it. Blue Jays, woodpeckers, our packs of wandering wild turkeys, deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons and of course birds that thrive on the caterpillars and other Lepidoptera that use the tree as a host.
These trees prefer soils in the 6.5 -7.0 up to 7.5 range. Chinkapin Oak is often confused with the swamp white oak and chestnut oak.
Those who know their oak trees, understand that Oak species, as a group, serve as host plants for caterpillars of more than 500 different butterflies and moths – more than any other genus of tree. The caterpillars (larvae) feed on the oak foliage, but do not harm the trees.
Wildlife that use the Chinkapin oak
Chinquapin oak acorns provide food for many species, including:
The high-quality acorns are a reliable food source for the red-headed and red-bellied
woodpeckers, northern bobwhite, ruffed grouse and wild turkey
white-tailed deer
chipmunks
squirrels
hummingbirds visit the flowers in spring
The trees are a larval host for the Grey hairstreak butterfly and the Red-Spotted Purple butterfly
The leaves of young chinkapin oak are commonly browsed by deer and rabbits while
beaver feed will happily feed on the tree’s bark and twigs.
If you live in an area with deer, rabbits and other rodents, you may need to protect the sapling until it is large enough to fend off the critters.
Protect your Chinkapin Oak while they are young
In our yard, I have had to protect the sapling from rabbits, deer and other rodents by placing fencing around it for a few years until it grows large enough to fend off the critters on its own.
The bark of the Chinkapin Oak is a pale brownish grey colour with thin, narrow and often flaky scales.
Flowers emerge in late spring. Trees have both male and female flowers – male flowers form as catkins, while female flowers are small and grow as individuals or in clusters.
Where do they grow naturally?
Chinquapin oak are found in well-drained soil over limestone, calcareous soils and forested sand dunes. You can expect to see them growing best on rocky sites such as shallow soul over limestone.
Fun facts about the Chinquapin Oak
Chinquapin oak acorns can be eaten raw and taste sweet.
Chinquapin oak can be mistaken for dwarf chinquapin oak as they can both grow under harsh conditions.
Chinquapin oak trees can produce almost 10 million acorns over their lifetime.