Don’t look for the typical lobed oak leaves to identify chinkapin oak trees (Quercus muehlenbergii). These oaks grow leaves that are toothed like those of chestnut trees and are often misidentified because of this. On the other hand, some facts about chinkapin trees help you recognize them as part of the oak tree family. For example, chinkapin oak trees, like all oaks, grow clusters of buds at the end of branches. Read on for more chinkapin oak information.
I. Appearance and Characteristics
Quercus muehlenbergii, the chinquapin (or chinkapin) oak, is a deciduous species of tree in the white oak group (Quercus sect. Quercus). The species was often called Quercus acuminata in older literature. Quercus muehlenbergii (often misspelled as muhlenbergii) is 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 Canada it is only found in southern Ontario, and in Mexico it ranges from Coahuila south to Hidalgo.
Chinquapin oak is monoecious in flowering habit; flowers emerge in April to late May or early June. The staminate flowers are borne in catkins that develop from the leaf axils of the previous year, and the pistillate flowers develop from the axils of the current year’s leaves. The fruit, an acorn or nut, is borne singly or in pairs, matures in one year, and ripens in September or October. About half of the acorn is enclosed in a thin cup and is chestnut brown to nearly black.
Chinquapin oak is closely related to the smaller but generally similar dwarf chinquapin oak (Quercus prinoides). Chinquapin oak is usually a tree, but occasionally shrubby, while dwarf chinquapin oak is a low-growing, clone-forming shrub. The two species generally occur in different habitats: chinquapin oak is typically found on calcareous soils and rocky slopes, while dwarf chinquapin oak is usually found on acidic substrates, primarily sand or sandy soils, and also dry shales.
Chinquapin oak is also sometimes confused with the related chestnut oak (Quercus montana), which it closely resembles. However, unlike the pointed teeth on the leaves of the chinquapin oak, chestnut oak leaves generally have rounded teeth. The two species have contrasting kinds of bark: chinquapin oak has a gray, flaky bark very similar to that of white oak (Q. alba) but with a more yellow-brown cast to it (hence the occasional name yellow oak for this species), while chestnut oak has dark, solid, deeply ridged bark. The chinquapin oak also has smaller acorns than the chestnut oak or another similar species, the swamp chestnut oak (Q. michauxii), which have some of the largest acorns of any oaks.
II. How to Grow and Care
Sunlight
Chinquapin oak should be planted in a field with full sun. It gives shade, shady plants can be planted under it.
Temperature and Humidity
The native habitat of the tree is a large geographical area as far north as New England and as far south as northeastern Mexico. It is highly adaptable to a wide range of climate conditions and can grow in locations with subzero winters and in hot, humid climates.
Watering
Like all newly planted trees, in the absence of rain, a young or recently transplanted chinkapin oak must be watered at least weekly during the first growing season. Established chinkapin oak tolerates dry soil and does not need watering except in an extended drought.
Soil
Ideal soils are well-drained loam, sandy-loam, or sandy-clay soils. Some alluvial fan areas and silts harbor good oaks stands. The key in all of these is that the soil is well-drained. Standing water cannot be tolerated by oaks.
Fertilizing
Chinquapin oak can survive and thrive without supplemental fertilization. But if you wish to give them extra nutrients you can add some of 12-6-6 (N-P-K) fertilizer. This has more of a ratio of nitrogen than phosphorus and potassium. Also, consider the natural environment of oaks. They grow where there is lots of forest litter. This forest litter acts as natural mulch that breaks down into organic matter and humus. So one way to give some natural nutrition is to spread mulch by your oak trees. They will love the extra organic matter.
Pruning
Branches should be pruned to avoid moist pockets or where heavy branches may fall on people or buildings. Avoid having branches that grow with leaves tight together or pressed against buildings. If rain collects in these pockets then molds and fungi can attack. Chinquapin oak love having their leaves dry out in a well ventilated breeze.
To ensure that no danger occurs from the brittle hardwood branches, make sure that heavy branches do not hang over walking paths or outbuildings. Also, do not let children play near oaks in a thunderstorm as they are susceptible to falling branches and lightning strikes.
Propagation
The best way to propagate chinkapin oak is to grow it from its seeds (acorns). The best time to plant acorns is immediately after they fall in autumn.
How to Grow from Seed
To successfully grow chinkapin oak from acorns, collect them immediately after they drop.
- Place them in a bowl of cold water; viable seeds will sink to the bottom, while those with low viability will float. Discard those and plant the viable acorns immediately to achieve optimum germination rate. If you store the acorns over the winter, the germination rate can drop from over 90% to less than 50%.
- Plant the acorns sideways, 3/4 to 1 inch deep, in pots first or directly in their permanent location.
- Give them at least 1 inch of water weekly if it doesn’t rain.
- Cover the soil with 2 to 3 inches of mulch or straw to help suppress weeds and protect the seedlings against frost heave.
The acorns will soon start germinating; growth will stop during cold weather and restart in the spring.
Be careful when pulling weeds so you don’t uproot the tender seedlings.
Overwintering
Chinkapin oaks are cold-hardy trees that can tolerate freezing temperatures. Protect young saplings growing outside in containers or newly transplanted outdoors with a layer of mulch or straw over the root zone.
Pests and Diseases
- Common Pests & Plant Diseases
As a native tree, chinkapin oak is relatively resistant to insects and diseases. But when the tree is under stress, such as from too much or too little water, soggy or compacted soil, or road salt, it can be affected by disease.
One of the most damaging is the fungus oak wilt, which kills the tree in a few years. Its other susceptible conditions include cankers, shoestring root rot, anthracnose, and leaf blister.
An infestation with gypsy moth, orange-striped oakworm, and the variable oakleaf caterpillar can defoliate the tree.
- Common Problems
Chinkakpin oak is a low-maintenance, easy-to-grow tree; the only finicky part is transplanting it successfully.
Young Tree Failing to Thrive
The tree has a deep root system with a taproot, and when it’s sold as a balled and burlapped tree at a nursery, a significant portion of the root system might be missing. When buying a chinkapin oak, inquire whether it has been root-pruned, which gives the tree a much better chance of survival.
Splits or Cracks in Bark
The bark holds water. With sudden weather fluctuation and sudden shrinking and swelling of bark caused by sunscald, the bark can split, create crevices, or flake off. If your tree gets recurrent sunscald, protect the tree with a white tree wrap in the fall before freezing temperatures to reflect sunlight and keep the bark temperature cooler.
III. Uses and Benefits
- Ornamental uses
Although not so common in the landscaping trade, chinquapin oak can be an excellent native specimen and shade tree. Some of its perks are that it has large, glossy, vivid green foliage, is very fast-growing for an oak species, and provides acorns that are attractive to birds and small mammals such as squirrels. The tree branches out widely – at maturity, the spread of the tree is greater than its height.
- Other uses
Like that of other white oak species, the wood of the chinquapin oak is a durable hardwood prized for many types of construction.
The chinquapin oak is especially known for its sweet and palatable acorns. The nuts contained inside of the thin shell are among the sweetest of any oak, with an excellent taste even when eaten raw, providing an excellent source of food for both wildlife and people. The acorns are eaten by squirrels, mice, voles, chipmunks, deer, turkey, and other birds.
Find Where to Buy the Best Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii)
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