chinkapin oak
Quercus muehlenbergii
MBG Plant of Merit 2009
USDA zones5 to 7
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moderate soil
Size40 to 60 feet tall50 to 70 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Bloom color
- Yellowish-green
- Foliage color
- Gold/yellow, green, red/burgundy
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii) is a tree for specimen planting, shade gardens, and woodland settings. It is hardy to USDA zone 5, or down to -20°F (-29°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to average, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. It grows at a moderate rate and has gold, green, and red fall color. Yellowish-green flowers open in early to late spring, and birds and bees visit the tree. Deer tend to browse other plants first.
Pairs well with Paperbark maple, Japanese forest grass, and Autumn fern.
Native range
Eastern United States.