WIMBISH TREE FARM - MILFORD, TEXAS

Wimbish Tree Farm sells only trees native to and adapted to Texas soils at wholesale prices.
All Trees are heat resistant, drought resistant & accommodating to alkaline Texas soils.

972-493-5311 wimb@cnbnet.com

Quercus muehlenbergii

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GROWING ZONES

One of our regions most underutilized deciduous native oaks and our latest Texas Superstar^TM is Quercus muehlenbergii, which is most commonly known as chinkapin oak or chinqapin oak. Other vernacular names associated with this tree such as bray oak, chestnut oak, yellow chestnut oak, rock chestnut oak, rock oak or yellow oak generally allude to the resemblance of its 4" to 6" long leaves to those of chestnuts or chinquapins (Castanea spp.) or alternatively to the tough rocky conditions of their native haunts. Although this member of the beech family (Fagaceae) can obtain a larger size in the eastern U.S., it usually grows to be a handsome medium size shade tree in the 30' to 50' tall range in many of our urban or suburban Texas landscapes. Thus, chinkapin oak remains more in scale with residential plantings than some larger shade trees.

The handsome foliage emerges reddish to green and matures to a dark lustrous green in late spring. Foliage of chinkapin oak is not frequently bothered by insect or diseases, remaining presentable throughout the growing season. In some years chinkapin oak will also develop a pleasing yellow, orange-brown, to rich brown fall color. As a young plant the canopy is typically and upright oval, with the crown eventually becoming more rounded and spreading with age. The flaky light brown to grayish mature bark is reminiscent of that of white oak (Quercus alba). Chinkapin oak¹s sweet acorns are very palatable to a variety of animals, thus serving as an environmentally friendly food source for attracting urban wildlife.

Tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions is one of the chinkapin oak¹s best characteristics. Chinkapin oaks are very heat tolerant, thriving even in El Paso. Once established chinkapin oaks can also withstand considerable drought. Chlorosis (yellowing of the foliage) so common on many trees in high pH soils is seldom a problem with chinkapin oak. Trees actually grow better on a neutral to somewhat alkaline soil, which is good news for many of us in Texas, but this species also tolerates acid soils. Trees exhibit tolerance to a wide range of temperatures, growing well in USDA zones 9a (the upper Texas Coastal Plain) to 5 (Central U.S. Plains to the Midwest). Growth rates are moderate on most sites. For the best adaptation in our area, growers should be encouraged to use seed collected from regional native stands. Although chinkapin oaks have been reported to contract oak wilt, they are also reported to be less susceptible than many alternative red oak or live oak species in Texas landscapes.

Family: Fagaceae

Guild: persistent, large-seeded, advance growth dependent

Functional Lifeform: medium-size to large deciduous tree

Ecological Role: grows on deep, well-drained soils along rivers, but is also found on dry, gravelly sites and limestone outcrops; occurs as scattered individuals in mesic and dry-mesic forests; often replaced by more shade-tolerant species on moist sites

Lifespan, yrs (typical/max): 150/250

Shade Tolerance: intermediate

Height, m: 18-24

Canopy Tree: yes

Pollination Agent: wind

Seeding, yrs (begins/optimal/declines): 30/50/150

Mast Frequency, yrs: irregular

New Cohorts Source: seeds or sprouts

Flowering Dates: late spring

Flowers/Cones Damaged by Frost: Information Not Found

Seedfall Begins: early fall

Seed Banking: up to 1 yr

Cold Stratification Required: no

Seed Type/Dispersal Distance/Agent: nut (acorn)/ to 50 m/ gravity, birds, other animals

Season of Germination: fall

Seedling Rooting System: taproot

Sprouting: seedling and stump sprouts common

Establishment Seedbed Preferences:

Substrate: variable

Light: overstory shade

Moisture: moist

Temperature: neutral

Disturbance response:

Fire: Chinkapin oaks grow in fire-prone environments such as gallery forests in riparian corridors on prairie margins as well as in closed-canopy forests. The fires in gallery forests were short interval (years) and likely low in intensity. Where fire is suppressed, succession to more shade-tolerant maple-basswood (Acer spp.-Tilia spp.) forests occurs. Chinkapin oak seedlings and saplings are susceptible to damage and topkilling, but as they grow larger they develop thick, smooth bark that is fire-resistant; few large trees are killed by typical fires. Fire-caused wounds can be entry points for damaging fungi and insects. When topkilled, chinkapin oaks readily sprout from the root crown or from root suckers. Seedlings sprout persistently if topkilled several times. Seedling establishment may occur from seeds of surviving trees onsite or from offsite seeds carried by birds and other animals. Like many upland oaks, chinkapin would be likely to increase in a regime of low-intensity, short-interval fire.

Exotics: Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) is a defoliator of eastern hardwood forests, introduced to Massachusetts from France in 1885. It has spread throughout New England into Virginia and Michigan. Defoliation causes growth loss, decline, and mortality. It feeds on many tree species, but Quercus and Populus are the most susceptible taxa, and trees growing on xeric sites are the most vulnerable. Various efforts have been made to control it, with mixed results. A fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga introduced from Japan causes considerable mortality to gypsy moth populations. E. maimaiga levels are promoted by damp weather.

Chinkapin Oak, Quercus muehlenbergii, isa good-looking medium to large shade tree suitable for use in much of Texas. Its unique saw-tooth leaves, which resemble those of the chinquapin tree found in the eastern United States, are rich green, turning yellow to bronze in the fall. It grows in the wild on well-drained bottomland soils and on limestone hills near water. It's adaptable to a range of soils and exposures. It's moderate to fast-growing and develops an open rounded crown as it ages.

Leaf: Alternate, simple, obovate or oblong, large coarse gland tipped teeth on margin, 4 to 7 inches long, dark, shiny green above, much paler below.

Flower: Monoecious; male flowers are yellow-green long catkins (3 to 4 inches long), females are green to reddish, very small in leaf axils. appearing with the leaves.

Fruit: Acorn, nut 1/2 to 1 inch long, broadest below the middle, thin bowl-shaped cap covers about 1/3 of acorn and forms a tattered fringe on the margin of cap, dark brown when mature.

Twig: Slender to moderate, orange-brown, buds cluster at branch tips, terminal buds 1/8 inch long, pointed, chestnut brown, individual scales with frosted edges.
Bark: Thin, light gray, rough and flaky.

Form: Medium sized tree to 60 feet, with a rounded crown.

For more information on the Chinkapin Oak
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AUTUMN BLAZE MAPLE - BALD CYPRESS - BURR OAK - CEDAR ELM - CHINESE PISTACHE - CHINQUAPIN OAK - LACEY OAK
LIVE OAK - MEXICAN WHITE OAK - PURPLEBLOW (SHANTUNG) MAPLE - TEXAS MOUNTAIN LAUREL - TEXAS REDBUD

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