Chinquapin Oak
- Botanical Name: Quercus muhlenbergii
- Plant Type: Shade Tree
- Light Requirement: Full Sun
- Water Demand: Low
- Landscape Use: Shade Provider
- Native or Adapted: Native
- Wildlife Value: Birds
- Deciduous or Evergreen: Deciduous
- Plant Form: Upright
- Region: North Central Texas
- Plant Spread: 25' - 50'
- Plant Height: 50' - 80'
Description
Fast growing and extremely drought tolerant. Chinquapin oak leaves are glossy and dark green, and the leaves can grow fairly large, which gives the tree a thick, lush look. Grows well in rocky or good soil.
Chinquapin oaks grow naturally in the Dallas-Fort Worth area on either limestone outcroppings or in moist bottomlands, but they are more prevalent to the north, west, and south of the Fort Worth area. They have few problems but can be difficult to successfully transplant and establish. They can grow quite large, but in most conditions they stay about the same size as post oaks.
The bark of the Chinquapin oaks may exfoliate. These oaks are relatively slow-growing as younger plants, but they become massive with age. Fruit, which is borne heavily every three to five years, is less of a problem than one might have with other oaks since the fruit is both smaller and more sought after as a food source. The preference of animals for the fruit of this plant has even made it difficult for the nursery industry to get seed reliably. The ability to prosper on dry sites and withstand construction activity also contributes to its value in urban settings.